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The New Brunswick government is considering installing “wildlife reduction reflectors” as a cost-effective way to reduce moose collisions.
Chuck Chiasson, the province’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, said he would like to set up the reflective posts along Route 17 next year, between Saint-Quentin and Saint-Léonard.
Chiasson said the reflectors, which help illuminate the side of the road, would be set up 30 metres apart along the roadside, which would make it easier for drivers to see large animals at night.
“Despite the mitigations that have already been put in place, there has really been no change in the amount of collisions year over year,” he said.
According to Chiasson, there’s been a small increase in the number of moose collisions between 2020 and 2025, despite the province having 330 kilometres of fenced roadway.
The province’s minister of transportation and infrastructure said he took inspiration from Maine, which has wildlife reduction reflectors installed in three different areas. (Submitted by Eric Ham)
He said he doesn’t know for sure how much the reflectors would cost, but he estimated they “would not be all that much” in comparison to fencing which costs $160,000 a kilometre.
He also thinks fencing isn’t always the answer.
“Moose and other wildlife are migratory by nature and if you fence them into a small area, then you’re going to be basically hurting the biodiversity of the herd,” he said.
“We actually had to push down a whole lot of fence when those wildfires happened because we had to let the animals get through … we just replaced it this past summer and it’s costly.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chiasson said fencing is costly and can impede on the biodiversity of wildlife. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Chiasson said the department has been in talks with Maine, who have the reflectors set up in three different areas.
Eric Ham, the senior environmental manager at the Maine Department of Transportation, said like New Brunswick, moose are a “pretty significant risk to people travelling around Maine.”
He said since the reflectors were installed in 2008, he believes they have made a difference, despite not having data to prove it.
Maine has had reflective posts installed since 2008 as a way to decrease wildlife collisions. (Submitted by Eric Ham)
“We do believe they are providing some good function,” he said. “If obviously they avoid one or two severe crashes a year only at that level, they’re worth the investment.
“At its very least, it makes you pay attention slightly more when you’re driving through these areas.”
Chiasson said the province tracks moose collisions, which would make it easy to measure the effectiveness of the reflectors.
He also said his department would plan to consult people in the community for feedback.
