DENVER – La Plata County leads the state in wildlife-vehicle collisions, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The county saw 252 collisions in 2013, when the latest numbers were available, according to CDOT. Jefferson County came in second with 248, followed by El Paso with 201, Douglas at 199, Garfield with 128, Moffat seeing 116 and Larimer and Montezuma counties with 106 crashes.
With the spring migration upon the state, CDOT is urging caution as deer and elk migrate to their summer habitats across roads and highways.
CDOT usually sees an increase in wildlife accidents during migration seasons, which typically run in November and May. The most dangerous times are between dusk and dawn.
Officials warn of the costs associated with such collisions, pointing to statistics showing the insurance industry pays nearly $1.1 billion a year in claims nationwide.
There were 3,437 wildlife-vehicle collisions reported in Colorado in 2013, down from 4,016 in 2012 and below the 10-year average of 3,605. Of the 3,437 collisions, 3,183 involved vehicle damage, 250 involved injuries and four involved fatalities.
A project to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions in La Plata County will begin after Labor Day weekend. U.S. Highway 160, about five miles east of the Colorado Highway 172 junction, will see shoulder-widening, fence- installation and construction of a wildlife underpass.
“Our engineers continue to build wildlife-mitigation features into our projects where collision trends are highest,” said CDOT Chief Engineer Joshua Laipply.