An important WCPP goal is to increase public awareness of the issue of wildlife vehicle collisions (WVCs), and to provide useful information that enables drivers to adjust their driving habits and be safer on the road. Every fall, due this being a high risk time of year for WVCs (and occasionally at other times of the year when funding allows), the WCPP releases a series of radio and newspaper ads around the province to educate drivers. This campaign is made possible thanks to ICBC and Gaming Community Grants.
A series of radio advertisements have been developed to provide wildlife collision prevention information directly to motorists. The ads have been tailored to provide species specific behavioural information for moose, deer and bighorn sheep in high crash areas and also during fall and winter conditions.
Radio ads were aired in the east and west Kootenays from in October 2019, alerting drivers to the hazards of encountering wildlife on the roads in the fall. The ads were heard in Golden, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Trail, Castlegar, Creston, Grand Forks, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie and Sparwood.
You can listen to the radio ad by clicking on the link below.
Wildlife Collision Prevention Ad - east and west Kootenays [MP3 - 484kb]
This 30 second ad focuses on raising the awarness of motorists in the east Kootenays to the presence of bighorn sheep on the highways during the winter months. This ad aired in the Revelstoke, Golden, Invermere and Radium Hot Springs area.
Sheep move to the valley bottoms during the winter so that they have access to forage that is not covered with as much snow as in higher elevations. Bighorn sheep are also attracted to the road and roadside area by road salt and can often be seen licking the road surface. Bighorn sheep generally bed down at night so the highest risk times for collisions are during the low light hours of dawn and dusk and during the daytime.
You can listen to the bighorn sheep radio ad by clicking on the link below.
Bighorn Sheep Collision Ad [MP3 - 737kb]
These 30 second ads incorporate regionally specific data from the University of Northern British Columbia research on wildlife collisions. The ads play through central and northern BC in January.
Mike Gouchie, a country music recording artist, was involved in a moose collision in July 2007, just south of Prince George. He had previously been in a moose collision several years ago in which his best friend was killed. Mike generously donated his time and talent to record 3 moose collision ads for the series.
The message is "Slow down and give wildlife and yourself a brake!"
You can listen to the radio ads by clicking on the links below.
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #1 [MP3 - 947kb] Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #2 [MP3 - 475kb] Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #3 [MP3 - 475kb] Wildlife Ad #2 [MP3 - 750kb] Wildlife Ad #3 [MP3 - 953kb] Wildlife Ad #4 [MP3 - 953kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #1 [MP3 - 947kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #2 [MP3 - 475kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #3 [MP3 - 475kb]
Wildlife Ad #2 [MP3 - 750kb]
Wildlife Ad #3 [MP3 - 953kb]
Wildlife Ad #4 [MP3 - 953kb]
A major initiative has been to locate informational signs at rest stop areas throughout BC.
Signs locations are:
More installations are planned in northeast BC.
Another project has been to place billboards with a safety message in high risk locations on BC's highways.
The billboards say: "Watch for Wildlife - Use Caution!" and are intended to remind drivers to pay attention to the more traditional wildlife warning signs on the highway, and to continue to watch out for wildlife on the road. Collision prone areas in the province determined the locations of the billboards, which will be in place during the high risk times of the year.
Billboards have been located in several locations throughout BC; west of Dawson Creek; east of Fernie; east of Grand Forks; west of Chase, south of Radium Hot Springs, south of Fairmont Hot Springs and along the Alaska Highway.
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