Over the last decade there have been from 3,300 to 4,500 collisions with reindeer each year. The variation in the annual number of reindeer collisions depends on the movement of reindeer, which in turn is affected by weather conditions and the availability of food for reindeer. The variation in the location and timing of collisions is large. Most collisions occur at the end of the summer and the end of the autumn.
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the Porokello (reindeer bell) alert system has had an impact on traffic safety and the number of reindeer collisions, and to make recommendations to improve the usability and quality of the service and thus increase its impact on traffic safety.
The data examined in this study consisted of data on reindeer collisions in reindeer husbandry areas from 2011 to 2018, exact time and location data of alerts given by Porokello since the adoption of the system in October 2016, as well as route data of the professional drivers who active in giving warnings, and an online survey for those giving warnings and for users of the Porokello application.
On the basis of examination of statistics and maps, it can be seen that the number of reindeer accidents and the reindeer accident rate have decreased since the introduction of Porokello. The alerts are likely to be one factor in the positive development of safety.
In online surveys, approximately 9 out of 10 drivers said that they had taken precautions and changed their driving behaviour after receiving a reindeer alert. The biggest reported impact on driving behaviour was the increase in alertness and reduction of driving speed. The responses received support the notion that the alerts have an impact on reindeer collisions and general traffic safety.
More people giving warnings in traffic are needed at least during late afternoon, in the evenings, weekends and during holiday periods when there are fewer alerts in relation to the number of collisions than at other times. It is recommended that the Porokello application be further developed and actively marketed in the future to increase the number of users receiving alerts and thereby increase the effectiveness of the alerts.