Daylight saving time ends Sunday and Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Transportation are warning drivers across the state to be aware of animals.
“This is something that we try to stress every fall and every spring, but I don't think people can hear it too much,” said Lisa Schwantes, Region 5 spokeswoman for CDOT.
“Here in Southwest Colorado, the wildlife species that become fairly active during the fall migration season are elk and deer,” she said. “Folks need to be really aware, especially at dusk and dawn. Their activity level picks up right about that time of day and it can be a little hairy when you’re driving along the roadway.”
Animal-vehicle collisions in the region increase in the fall, CDOT data show.
Drivers kill on average 263 animals in October, 266 in November and 210 in December, well above the monthly average of 170, according to CDOT data.
Drivers most often kill deer or elk.
“Big game like deer and elk are making their way to the elevations where they can more easily find food and water,” CDOT Wildlife Program Manager Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “In Colorado, approximately 4,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions are reported each year. The seasonal movements of these animals can cause increased wildlife-vehicle collisions if drivers are unaware more wildlife is on or near the roadways.”
“We realize that our highways bisect the environment of wildlife that has been here for a millennium,” Schwantes said. “Our roadways bisects their habitat, so as good stewards of the land and the environment, we really do need to make a good faith effort to keep wildlife safe, as well as drivers.”
CPW and CDOT have been working together to decrease collisions.
In 2018, the two agencies joined with public and private partners to create the Colorado Wildlife and Transportation Alliance, which seeks to “improve human safety and wildlife movement needs” in the state.
In 2019, CPW, CDOT and Jacobs Engineering Inc. submitted a Western Slope Wildlife Prioritization Study, which identified segments of highway that should be prioritized for wildlife and vehicle safety improvements.
Sections of U.S. Highway 160, state Highway 151, U.S. Highway 550 and a host of other roads were identified as priorities in Southwest Colorado.
Across the state, CDOT and CPW have been working to install new wildlife crossings to make roads safer for people and wildlife. In 2016, CDOT completed the first wildlife overpass and underpass system in the state near Kremmling.
CDOT installed an underpass along Highway 160 between Durango and Bayfield in 2016 and a new wildlife crossing complex between Durango and Pagosa Springs is nearing completion.
On its website, CPW says drivers should slow down, stay alert and watch for wildlife warning signs.
“The biggest thing is making sure that your attention is on the roadway,” Schwantes said. “Be sure to put down the phone, be sure to be aware of your surroundings.”
CPW and Schwantes also suggest scanning roadsides for glowing eyes or movement.
“It’s just a matter of being aware,” Schwantes said.
ahannon@durangoherald.com
