USDA’s Wildlife Service Researchers recently filed a patent for a new light bar they created to reduce run-ins with deer.
(Pictured above is the difference between a normal vehicle vs. a vehicle with the light bar installed)
The new light is a rear facing LED light bar that goes on the front of your vehicle. The bar illuminates more of the front of the vehicle than normal headlights do. The research shows that this results in less deer-vehicle collisions. It’s estimated that the possibility of a dangerous deer-vehicle accident decreases from 35% to 10% when using the new light bar.
So how does it work? Since the deer are able to see the front of the vehicle better with the light bar on, they’ll notice the vehicle moving toward them. This makes them less likely to freeze in the middle of the road and do their famous “deer in the headlights” routine.
In 2018, Wisconsin had 20,167 reported deer-vehicle incidents. When we look at the whole United States, about 200 Americans die every year from these accidents. USDA’s currently looking for a partner to build the light bar.
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