Deer-vehicle collisions have become a problem in many areas of the United States. The causes of collisions are complex, and relationships between factors affecting collisions remain unclear. It is possible that the inconsistencies between studies reflect a problem of scale. We argue that the causes of deer-vehicle collisions are relevant to their locational hot spots and cannot be generalized over regions (e.g, an entire state). In this study we created a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virrginianus) -vehicle collision risk for counties in Texas to identify site-specific areas of high risk. Unfortunately, the available data was aggregated to the county level and locational analyses were unachievable. Locational black bear (Ursus americanus) collision data were obtained from Florida, allowing a comparison of site-specific versus aggregated data for animal collisions. Results showed the deer-vehicle collision risk index was only about 50% accurate when measured against actual collision numbers. The spatial analysis of the bear collision data showed that site-specific data was better able to identify, areas of greater risk.
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