The Iowa State Patrol estimates nearly a quarter of the damage done to its vehicles comes from collisions with animals. Patrol Sergeant Nate Ludwig says the majority of the crashes involve deer, but last year a trooper had a close encounter with a wild turkey.

 

Ludwig says the patrol is working with Iowa State University researchers to identify areas in the state that are known as “carcass crash corridors.” He says several dead animals along the road likely mean those are places where they need to be especially watchful.

 

Ludwig says the goal is to have the data programmed into the vehicle’s on-board computer system. It could be programmed to alert the officer when they enter a so-called “animal hotspot.”