Luxembourg has rolled out a series of blue reflectors on the country's roads to help reduce collisions between vehicles and wild animals.

The test phase, managed by the Highways Agency, will last two years and will consider if the blue reflectors are successful in preventing animals from crossing roads at dusk and at night.

Blue is considered to be a colour of danger for wild animals as it is rarely seen in nature. When a car approaches with a low beam of light, this light is reflected back along the roadside creating a kind of light fence. It is hoped that this will discourage wild animals from crossing the road.

Reflectors have already been installed at intervals on roads between Weyer and Fischbach and Godbringen and Heffingen. More are expected to follow in areas where deer are known to cross roads, in the south, north and along the Moselle.

A similar project has been rolled out in Germany where studies show that reflectors have helped reduce nighttime accidents involving animals by up to 73 percent.

Translated from an article by Paul Hinger

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