First results of an experimental ungulate-vehicle collision prevention system in Tuscany (Central Italy): temporal patterns of wildlife presence and vehicle traffic.

Road accidents involving wildlife represent a worldwide increasing phenomenon,with growing concern for traffic safety and socio-economic issues. An experimental prevention system, projected in concert with Pistoia Province and financed by the Tuscany Region, was implemented in November 2015 on a high risk extra-urban road tract. Here, ungulate-vehicle collisions had been intensive in the previous decade, both due to massive wildlife presence in the surrounding agricultural lands, and to the high speeds of passing vehicles. The experimental system aims at enhancing vigilance and caution in drivers, by means of road signs with lights activated by passive infrared sensors located along both sides of the road. Furthermore, strobe light dissuaders were deployed in fields around the road tract, and camera traps were used to monitor the roadway as well as the passages used by ungulates. A first analysis of data collected by these cameras during three seasons (winter, spring and summer) from December 2015 to August 2016, is presented. Within this period, 178 contacts of wild animals (7 diferent species) were recorded in close proximity to the road. The distribution of the contacts was as follows: 66 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 61 brown hare (Lepus europaeus), 19 wild boar (Sus scrofa), 16 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 12 red fox (Vulpes vulpes), 3 crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) and 1 wolf (Canis lupus). Their presence varied signiicantly (p<0.001) among the time slots ranging from dusk to dawn, and the peaks of contacts occurred from 2 am to 6 am, and from 5 pm to 9 pm. As regards the seasonal distribution, a higher number of contacts was recorded during summer. Moreover, a greater number of contacts was recorded in days with a marked fraction of illuminated moon (p<0.001). Finally, during the time of dusk, peaks in vehicle traffic (number of vehicles/minute) corresponded to peaks in wildlife presence.The monitoring of this road tract highlighted the most common species around the experimental site, and the temporal pattern of their presence. The data collection is still ongoing; it is expected to provide more useful information in order to understand some of the main elements related to the risk of collision.