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Dynamics of Roads: The role of Traffic in the Number of Accidents with Fauna

Abstract

The present study sought to acknowledge the effects of velocity and vehicle traffic on animal roadkills on roads nearby Protected Areas (PA) in the Distrito Federal - Brazil. Data on roadkill events for three road segments were superimposed on information on traffic volume, records of speeding infractions, and installation of vertical signs (VSs). The results showed a weak positive correlation between roadkill events and the annual traffic volume (ρ = 0.470; p <0.05). No statistical significance was found in the correlation indices between roadkill events and speeding infractions, and there was no evidence that installing VSs had an effect on the records of roadkill within 200 m (V = 387; p> 0.3) or 500 m (V = 437.5; p> 0.5) of the VSs. The data analysis showed a possible correlation between the fauna that had become accustomed to the road environment that were in collisions between animals and vehicles (AVCs) and the consequent intensification of the edge effect, fragmentation, and isolation of these species in adjacent PAs. It is proposed that new studies evaluate the installation of structures capable of reconnecting the affected areas, the continuity of monitoring projects, and the provision of improved access to data on traffic violations.

Keywords:
Animal-Vehicle Collision; Mitigation of Impacts Vertical Signs; Evaluation of Efficacy; Protected Areas

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