Colorado protects wildlife in speed zones
Here's an interesting idea for Maryland legislators: Colorado has just adopted a new law allowing state highway officials to set up wildlife crossing zones with lower speed limits and higher speeding fines -- not unlike school zones for animals. Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. just signed the Wildlife Crossing Zones Traffic Safety Bill into law today.
The bill was supported by Defenders of Wildlife and the Western Environmental Law Center.
This legislation is obviously an easy target for jokes, but when you consider the damage and human injury a vehicle-animal collision can cause, maybe it's not so ludicrous -- especially for a Western state with a lot of big critters. The bill requires that any such zones be set up in places with a demonstrable record of such crashes, a provision that seems to make sense.
Maybe Maryland drivers aren't willing to slow down for migrating deer, even though a big old buck flying across a windshield is a daunting prospect. But hitting one of those bears out in Allegany and Garrett counties could be even more perilous. It would be great if some intrepid lawmaker would put in a version of the Colorado bill. At least it would make for a lively hearing.
Comments
As someone who has hit a deer and doesn't want to again, this is quite interesting. I guess my biggest question is how well can DOT 1) know where animals cross and 2) make highway design so that it's easier for animals to cross in the Wildlife Crossing Zone and harder in other zones? I'd definitely support something like this if it minimizes animal/car accidents.
Posted by: Fritz | June 14, 2010 3:53 PM
Why not open up hunting in those areas. Deer are anything but extinct here in Maryland, just look at how they litter the road side. In fact in March of 09 a guy I know hit a deer on I-70 on his motorcycle. He tells the story here: http://dcsportbikes.com/forums/p/108927/1179585.aspx
We would have to lower the speed limit in a lot of locations on I-70 as well as other roads such as Route 40 between Catonsville and Ellicott City.
I think people forget something very important. Deer are never alone, so if you see one you'd better slow down and look for the other three or more.
Posted by: Phillip | June 16, 2010 12:08 PM