Testing an integrated PDA-GPS system to collect standardized animal carcass removal data on Virginia roadways

Testing an integrated PDA-GPS system to colle ...
Bridget M. Donaldson, Bridget ...
Not in Library

My Reading Lists:

Create a new list

Check-In

×Close
Add an optional check-in date. Check-in dates are used to track yearly reading goals.
Today


Buy this book

Last edited by MARC Bot
December 20, 2020 | History

Testing an integrated PDA-GPS system to collect standardized animal carcass removal data on Virginia roadways

Animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) have a growing impact in the United States in terms of safety, economic loss, and species conservation. According to estimates from insurance claims, Virginia has consistently ranked as one of the top seven states for deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) since 2002. Of the state's estimated 43,500 to 47,700 DVCs in 2006, less than 14% were reported to the police and stored in the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) accident database. Virginia has no standardized method of sufficiently tracking AVC occurrences and locations, creating difficulty in researching and implementing mitigation efforts to reduce accidents. Valuable AVC data can be obtained from documenting the instances and locations of animal carcasses from the roadway, but most transportation organizations do not systematically record these removals. This project entailed testing a personal data assistant (PDA) enabled with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for the collection and analyses of animal carcass removals (CRs) from the roadway. Using GPS-enabled PDAs and software developed by Western Transportation Institute, maintenance personnel from a VDOT area headquarters in Rockbridge County collected 8 months of spatially accurate CR data. Rockbridge County DVC estimates derived from the CR data collected for this study were more than 9 times greater than the number of AVCs reported in police records. These spatial data can be easily used for density analyses to determine "hotspots" of AVCs. Implementing mitigation at these areas can ultimately lead to fewer AVCs and associated reductions of human deaths, injuries, and financial losses; improved traffic operations; a reduction in maintenance costs related to carcass removal and disposal; and wildlife conservation. VDOT is currently undergoing changes to its method of documenting roadway maintenance activities, including the deployment of GPS-enabled PDAs to all area headquarters. These PDAs provide a mechanism for collecting spatially accurate and standardized CR data, but collecting and reporting CRs are currently not requirements. Given the PDA's ease of use and the benefits these data would provide, the study recommends that this procedure be integrated into regular practice by VDOT area headquarters. As VDOT is receiving added regulatory pressure to implement measures to reduce AVCs, improving CR data collection using the technology described in this report can help provide an objective method for deciding whether and where mitigation is needed.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
19

Buy this book

Book Details


Edition Notes

Project manager, Bridget M. Donaldson.

"February 2008"

Includes bibliographical references (p. 18).

Final contract report.

Also available online.

Sponsored by Virginia Department of Transportation and U.S. Federal Highway Administration 82106

Published in
Charlottesville, Va
Series
VTRC -- 08-CR10, VTRC (Series) -- 08-CR10.

Classifications

Library of Congress
HE5620.W54 D658 2008

The Physical Object

Pagination
iii, 19 p. :
Number of pages
19

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL22660541M
LCCN
2008379166

Community Reviews (0)

Feedback?
No community reviews have been submitted for this work.

Lists

This work does not appear on any lists.

History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
December 20, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
January 29, 2010 Edited by WorkBot add more information to works
December 11, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page