Province testing wildlife detection equipment
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KAMLOOPS — The provincial transportation ministry is using new technology in an effort to prevent collisions between vehicles and wildlife.
Minister Todd Stone says the ministry is piloting equipment in the Kootenays that detects large animals approaching the highway, and activates warning signs for drivers well ahead of the animal’s location.
“If all goes well, we would look at expanding this technology to other parts of British Columbia where we do know there is a high prevalence of wildlife often on, or near highways, which obviously poses a significant risk to the public,” said Stone.
Stone says the ministry chose Highway 3 near Elko and Sparwood as their pilot location because of the population of large animals like elk in that area. He adds about one in 25 crashes in BC involves a vehicle and an animal.
