Closing the data gaps: towards a comprehensive wildlife-vehicle collisions mitigation strategy for Ontario

Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions (WVCs) increased by almost 40 per cent in Ontario between 2000 and 2007. WVCs are a threat to the safety of drivers, passengers, animal populations, and cause significant property damage. This capstone uses case study analysis to explore how Canada’s largest province might best reduce WVCs. In examining WVC reduction efforts in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, the capstone finds accurate and detailed data collection holds the key to effective WVC reduction planning. After evaluating data collection systems used in the three case provinces, this study suggests Ontario adopt a system similar to British Columbia’s Wildlife Accident Reporting System (WARS).