Skip to main content

Japan takes unique action on road safety

In a bid to tackle the growing problem of collisions caused by deer, transport officials in the Japanese island of Hokkaido have taken drastic action. As well as spraying wolf urine near roads and railways they will also be broadcasting the roar of lions to try to keep the deer away. A spokesman for Nexco East, which runs the island's highways, said: 'Even though we have increased the height of fences to 2.5 metres from 1.5 metres, fences sometimes break because of heavy snow, so we need this stop-gap measu
June 26, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In a bid to tackle the growing problem of collisions caused by deer, transport officials in the Japanese island of Hokkaido have taken drastic action. As well as spraying wolf urine near roads and railways they will also be broadcasting the roar of lions to try to keep the deer away.

A spokesman for Nexco East, which runs the island's highways, said: 'Even though we have increased the height of fences to 2.5 metres from 1.5 metres, fences sometimes break because of heavy snow, so we need this stop-gap measure while mending them.

Hokkaido Railway Company earlier this year erected equipment that broadcasts the roar of lions in an effort to keep the timid animals away from its tracks, a spokesman said. He added there were 2,581 incidents involving deer last year, a figure that had doubled in less than a decade.

Related Content

  • Rail safety technology launched in Central Minnesota
    January 7, 2013
    New safety technology being installed along some rail lines across the US, including Central Minnesota, aims to prevent deadly train crashes caused by human error. The technology is designed to automatically stop or slow a train to prevent accidents such as a collision with another train or a derailment caused by excessive speed. The changes stem from federal legislation passed in 2008 after a commuter train collided head-on with a freight train in California, killing twenty-five people and injuring 135. An
  • Rhode Island’s Rhode Works ‘a bold move’, says IBTTA
    February 12, 2016
    The International Bridge, tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has applauded Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and state legislators for passing Rhode Works to raise revenue for much-needed bridge repairs and maintenance across the state. According to the Rhode Island government, Rhode Island ranks last in the US in overall bridge condition, with about 22 per cent of the 1,162 bridges in the state structurally deficient. Officials plan to fix more than 150 structurally deficient bridges in the state an
  • DSRC? ‘It’s become a faith-based thing’
    March 2, 2021
    The US FCC’s decision on 5.9GHz led to Applied Information offering DSRC buybacks to DoTs. Bryan Mulligan tells Adam Hill that we now just need to get on and roll out CV technology...
  • CCTV technology aids fight against UK insurance fraud
    June 9, 2014
    An increasing number of UK commercial fleets are turning to in-vehicle technology for protection against the sharp rise of insurance fraud, according to CCTV vehicle company, Vision Unique Equipment (VUE). Latest figures from the Association of British Insurers reveal insurance fraud is at a record high, reaching US$2.18 billion in 2013, with US$1.3 billion of fraudulent claims attributed to car insurance. ‘Crash for cash’ car insurance scams were identified as the main contributor to a 34 per cent rise