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La Plata County again leads state in wildlife collisions

Transportation Dept. urges caution with coming storms coming, migration
La Plata County once again leads the state in wildlife-vehicle collisions.

La Plata County once again leads the state in wildlife-vehicle collisions, according to the latest statistics from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The county saw 306 collisions in 2014. Numbers are not made available until the following year, so 2014 is the latest numbers available.

In 2013, the county also saw the highest number of wildlife-vehicle collisions, with 252, meaning there were 54 more accidents in 2014.

Jefferson County came in second with 265; followed by Douglas County at 248; El Paso County, 209; and Montezuma County, 169.

Statewide, there were 3,960 wildlife-vehicle collisions reported to law enforcement in 2014, up from 3,437 in 2013 and above the 10-year average of 3,590. The highest amount of hits reported in one year was 4,013 in 2012.

Of the 3,960 incidents in 2014, 3,667 involved vehicle damage, 287 involved injuries and six involved human fatalities, according to CDOT.

With the first few storms of the season, and wildlife having moved down from the high country, crossing highways along their routes, CDOT is urging caution, especially from dusk to dawn.

“While CDOT constructs and implements many wildlife-mitigation features in our known high-collision areas, there are things motorists can do to further reduce these incidents,” said Mike McVaugh, the CDOT traffic and safety engineer for 15 counties in Southwest Colorado, including La Plata.

“Avoiding collisions with wildlife is not always possible, but we can all increase our reaction time by slowing down, especially at night, and being aware of animals near the roadsides,” McVaugh added.

pmarcus@durangoherald.com



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