Like a (Rein) Deer in Headlights

Any North Carolinian Jeep owner that’s well acquainted with trails or back-roads or really just any road in this state is well aware that deer can be a problem. A report from two years ago estimated that there were more than a million deer-related collisions in the United States in total. The reality is, cervines are a danger everywhere, especially when they get bigger. Just imagine driving along at night only to be confronted by an elk or moose taking up an entire lane.

In Finland, they have to contend with reindeer. Apparently Santa doesn’t keep them stabled in the off season. Hunting is illegal in Finland, so the obvious solution to us isn’t an option there. Instead, the Finnish Reindeer Herder’s Association is trying out a more enlightened approach.

There’s a company called Albedo 100 that makes paint that is only visible when light is shining on it, say for example a pair of headlamps. The Finnish herding group is planning a trial where they will cover the Reindeers’ antlers in this special paint and see if accident numbers fall.

We’re not sure if shiny antlers would solve the deer v. traffic problems here in our state. Deer shed their antlers anyway, so it’s a process that would have to be repeated throughout the year, and that’s assuming you could even track as many deer as we have to get them all painted in the first place. But hey, it would create jobs.

This problem is actually pretty serious, and you have to hand it to Finland for trying something different. You can watch a video of the paint in action on autoblog.com. Of course, Jeep drivers have the means to deftly maneuver around any antlered obstacles, but not everyone can be so lucky.