Moose are taking to the roadways; causing collisions - by Stephanie Grinnell
By Stephanie Grinnell
Staff Writer
A 24 year-old Saco man who was involved in a vehicle collision with a moose remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, June 5, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Andrew Gallagher was a passenger in the car on May 25, riding with his girlfriend, 26 year-old Hoang Nguyen, who was killed in the collision in Medway.
A few days later on May 29, on the turnpike between Saco and Scarborough, there was another moose-vehicle collision. This one involved two moose and two cars and three men were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The recent accidents have brought to light a common warm weather problem in Maine, moose emerging from the woods and wandering into traffic. The problem spreads across the entire state but crashes are more common in Northern Maine where the moose population is greater. According to the Maine Department of Transportation, or MDOT, Aroostook County had the highest number of moose crashes during a five year period between 1999 and 2003 with 1,090 crashes and the lowest number of moose crashes, 15, was in Sagadahoc County. York County had a total of 184 moose crashes during the same five year period, or an average of 37 crashes per year.
A press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety stated “late May and June are when moose are on the move.” There are more moose crashes in Maine in June than in any other month of the year.
“Moose frequent roadways during the late spring and early summer,” said Roland D. Martin, commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the press release. “Drivers need to be alert when driving in areas populated with moose, and be certain to use their seatbelts.”
There are several reasons moose venture out of the woods to the roadsides. The moose are drawn to the salt left on the sides of the road from the winter salting and sanding due to deficiencies in their winter diet. The sides of the road are often the first place to sprout new growth in the spring, which also draws moose craving a change in diet. Another reason yearling moose end up near roads is because their mothers force them away in preparation for birthing the next calf.
Crashes often occur at night. Moose are more active at night when the temperatures are cooler, but they are hard to see in darkness because of their dark brown coloring. The height of moose also makes it difficult for their eyes to reflect headlights, which is often a telltale sign of a deer in the road.
The size of moose usually causes large amounts of damage to vehicles and passengers when a crash occurs.
“A moose vehicle accident can cause serious injury, or even death,” said Colonel Thomas Santaguida of the Maine Warden Service in a press release. “Statistics show that one of every four moose-vehicle crashes causes significant injury.”
The Maine Department of Public Safety warns that moose often travel together, so if a motorist sees one moose, they should be on the lookout for others.
The state has been experimenting with deterrents for moose crashes in the past few years, including increasing the number of moose hunting permits allowed in highly populated areas or with a high concentration of moose crashes. In Phillips, the stripes on the sides of the road were painted wider to provide more of a background to see moose on the shoulders of the road. The MDOT also expected the wider stripes to cause drivers to slow down because the road appeared to be more narrow, but the theory was not bourn out.
Around Moosehead Lake, the MDOT installed optical markers, the yellow or white flags that are used to temporarily mark center lines and lanes. The theory was the same as the wider striping on the roads in Phillips, to provide more visibility of moose on the sides of the road.
There are more projects to be tested, including moose speed bumps. The speed bumps will be installed along the base of the slope alongside the road and composed of sharp angular stones with the intention of slowing the moose from running into the road, or at least slowing the moose enough to allow a motorist more reaction time.
Other tools being implemented to alert drivers of the presence of moose include signs with warning lights in high density crash areas, more clearing of roadside vegetation and reflector systems like the temporary optical markers.
In the event a motorist sees a moose in the road, the Department of Public Safety recommends trying to hit the rear quarters of the moose because there is less potential for the animal to crash through the windshield that way.
Other recommendations include reducing speed at night, using high beams when practical and always wearing a seat belt.
Staff Writer
A 24 year-old Saco man who was involved in a vehicle collision with a moose remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, June 5, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Andrew Gallagher was a passenger in the car on May 25, riding with his girlfriend, 26 year-old Hoang Nguyen, who was killed in the collision in Medway.
A few days later on May 29, on the turnpike between Saco and Scarborough, there was another moose-vehicle collision. This one involved two moose and two cars and three men were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The recent accidents have brought to light a common warm weather problem in Maine, moose emerging from the woods and wandering into traffic. The problem spreads across the entire state but crashes are more common in Northern Maine where the moose population is greater. According to the Maine Department of Transportation, or MDOT, Aroostook County had the highest number of moose crashes during a five year period between 1999 and 2003 with 1,090 crashes and the lowest number of moose crashes, 15, was in Sagadahoc County. York County had a total of 184 moose crashes during the same five year period, or an average of 37 crashes per year.
A press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety stated “late May and June are when moose are on the move.” There are more moose crashes in Maine in June than in any other month of the year.
“Moose frequent roadways during the late spring and early summer,” said Roland D. Martin, commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the press release. “Drivers need to be alert when driving in areas populated with moose, and be certain to use their seatbelts.”
There are several reasons moose venture out of the woods to the roadsides. The moose are drawn to the salt left on the sides of the road from the winter salting and sanding due to deficiencies in their winter diet. The sides of the road are often the first place to sprout new growth in the spring, which also draws moose craving a change in diet. Another reason yearling moose end up near roads is because their mothers force them away in preparation for birthing the next calf.
Crashes often occur at night. Moose are more active at night when the temperatures are cooler, but they are hard to see in darkness because of their dark brown coloring. The height of moose also makes it difficult for their eyes to reflect headlights, which is often a telltale sign of a deer in the road.
The size of moose usually causes large amounts of damage to vehicles and passengers when a crash occurs.
“A moose vehicle accident can cause serious injury, or even death,” said Colonel Thomas Santaguida of the Maine Warden Service in a press release. “Statistics show that one of every four moose-vehicle crashes causes significant injury.”
The Maine Department of Public Safety warns that moose often travel together, so if a motorist sees one moose, they should be on the lookout for others.
The state has been experimenting with deterrents for moose crashes in the past few years, including increasing the number of moose hunting permits allowed in highly populated areas or with a high concentration of moose crashes. In Phillips, the stripes on the sides of the road were painted wider to provide more of a background to see moose on the shoulders of the road. The MDOT also expected the wider stripes to cause drivers to slow down because the road appeared to be more narrow, but the theory was not bourn out.
Around Moosehead Lake, the MDOT installed optical markers, the yellow or white flags that are used to temporarily mark center lines and lanes. The theory was the same as the wider striping on the roads in Phillips, to provide more visibility of moose on the sides of the road.
There are more projects to be tested, including moose speed bumps. The speed bumps will be installed along the base of the slope alongside the road and composed of sharp angular stones with the intention of slowing the moose from running into the road, or at least slowing the moose enough to allow a motorist more reaction time.
Other tools being implemented to alert drivers of the presence of moose include signs with warning lights in high density crash areas, more clearing of roadside vegetation and reflector systems like the temporary optical markers.
In the event a motorist sees a moose in the road, the Department of Public Safety recommends trying to hit the rear quarters of the moose because there is less potential for the animal to crash through the windshield that way.
Other recommendations include reducing speed at night, using high beams when practical and always wearing a seat belt.
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