Moose-vehicle crashes and the crash drivers

The report deals with the circumstances in which moose-vehicle crashes occur, and with the measures taken by the driver to avoid a collision. The principal data was collected with a questionnaire mailed to drivers that had just been involved in a crash with a moose. Human injuries caused by these crashes are also examined in this study. This report is a sequel to a previously published study (Publications of the Ministry of Transport and Communications 20/2000). Highly experienced drivers, who also have a lot of experience with moose-vehicle encounters, are strongly represented among the crash drivers. It was estimated that for every actual moose-vehicle crash, 30 crashes are avoided by an emergency braking and/or a rapid evasive maneuver. Exceptional or momentary factors that interfere with the driver's ability to detect an intruding animal are often involved in a crash. Examples of such factors are an obstacle blocking the driver's view, an oncoming car, and the driver's attention being directed at some secondary activity. Under daylight conditions, the moose has usually entered the roadway with a leap or trotting. The most serious injuries in a moose-car collision typically result from a heavy blow of the roof onto the head of a front passenger, leading to deaths, quadriplegia, and cognitive deficits. A crash results in human injuries most frequently in the middle of the night, when high driving speeds are also relatively most common. One half of all crashes, and 67% (35/52 crashes) of the fatal crashes in 1989-97 occurred within three hours after sunset. Forty percent of all the fatal crashes occurred during June-August within this three-hour period. In 75% of the fatal moose-car crashes the car was driven at a speed of 100 km/h or higher. A motorcycle was involved in one in four fatal moose-vehicle crash. The essential results and graphs of this research project are presented in the last chapter of the report. It is concluded that there exist effective methods available for an individual driver to lower his own risk of a serious crash with a moose. However, as it is difficult to achieve a comprehensive change in the driving habits of road users, societal efforts are needed also in making the road environment safer (e.g. by building fences) as well as in keeping the moose population from exceeding a desired level. This report is available at http://www.mintc.fi