The following article is excerpted by permission from Sielecki, L. E. 2000. WARS 2000: Wildlife Accident Reporting System, 2000 Annual Report. British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Environmental Services Section. Victoria, B.C., Canada. 75 pages plus appendices.

Table 1. Wildlife-Related Motor Vehicle Accident Factors

1.      Wildlife Characteristics	species, population, age, sex, stage of reproduction, nutritional needs, movement behavior, population cycles
2.      Wildlife Activities	feeding, breeding, sleeping, migrating, evading predators, chasing prey
3.      Natural Water Sources	intermittent and permanent streams, rivers, slews, lakes, ponds, springs, waterfalls
4.      Man-made Water Sources	settling ponds, surface drainage systems, wells, dugouts
5.      Natural Food Sources	natural vegetation, salt licks, fish-bearing waters, prey
6.      Man-made Food Sources	orchards, gardens, fields, pets, livestock, garbage
7.      Wildlife Shelter	caves, cliffs, forests, culverts, bridges
8.      Habitat Conditions	seasonal vegetation changes, snow depth, drought, flooding, fire, overgrazing
9.      Traffic	volume, speed, composition, time-of-day, time-of-year
10.  Vehicles	size, design, operating condition, brakes, lights, horns
11.  Drivers	wildlife hazard awareness, highway familiarity, general alertness, driving skill, response time, response actions
12.  Highway Design	road width, number of lanes, curvilinearity of alignment, right-of-way width, shoulder width, ditch depth, pavement surface, lighting
13.  Roadside Management and Maintenance	native and non-native right-of-way vegetation, weed control, mowing, brushing, ditching, snow removal, de-icing, sign and reflector repairs
14.  Roadside Development	natural, urban, suburban, rural
15.  Accident Mitigation Devices	wildlife signs, fencing, under/overpasses, reflectors
16.  Topography	elevation, cliffs, slopes, plains, undulating terrain
17.  Weather	rain, snow, sleet, fog, haze, smoke, wind, cloud cover
18.  Time of Day	dawn, day, dusk, night, length of day/night
19.  Lunar Cycle	phases of the Moon, intensity of Moonlight
20.  Human Activities Outside Right-of-Way-	construction, forestry, farming, mining, hunting, off-road recreation