Monitoring wildlife-vehicle collisions in the Information Age: How smartphones can improve data collection

Abstract

There is a critical need for accurate and standardized wildlife-vehicle collision data, because it is the underpinning of mitigation projects that protect both drivers and wildlife. Collecting data of this magnitude requires an efficient data collection system. Currently, there is no widely adopted system that is both efficient and accurate. Our objective was to develop and test an integrated smartphone-based system for reporting wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) data. The WVC Reporter system we developed consisted of a mobile web application for data collection, a database for centralized storage of data, and a desktop web application for viewing data. During the first year of use, 6,822 animal carcasses were reported using the WVC Reporter. The desktop web application improved access to WVC data and allowed users to easily visualize wildlife-vehicle collision patterns at multiple scales. The WVC Reporter integrated several modern technologies into a seamless method for collecting, managing, and using WVC data. As a result, the system increased efficiency in reporting, improved accuracy, and enhanced visualization of data. The development costs for the system were minor relative to the potential benefits of having spatially accurate and temporally current wildlife-vehicle collision data.