Costs

Within the First Year

The typical cost for one mile of reflectors ranges from $3,400–$4,000, depending upon quantities purchased. Most reflectors average 12.5 years of service thus costing only $272 to $320 per mile per year. The total cost of installation with reflectors, posts, equipment, and labor is $10,000–$15,000 per mile.

Since the cost of a deer-auto collision is $2,500, the Strieter-Lite system is cost effective within the first year where there are only two to three collisions per mile per year prevented.

Thereafter the cost is negligible; only maintenance expenses are required. Based on several states' maintenance records, the cost per mile per year to maintain the reflectors is $500.

As you can see from the graph, since the maintenance cost is negligible, the savings increase each year as the Strieter-Lite continues to prevent deer-auto collisions.

Cost benefit computation

There is data provided by a user (Dennis Randolph) who made a cost estimate for installing 265 reflectors on a one mile section of highway. He then did a cost benefit computation based on a 70% reduction of deer crashes and showed that the installation costs were paid back by crash damage cost savings in just over one year!

Large offset of the reflectors

How to Reduce Costs

Often the terrain will permit offsetting the reflectors beyond the shoulder of the road. The reflectors may be offset up to 40 ft from the active edge of the highway, provided the distance between the reflector lines does not exceed 125 ft. For example, in the photo, the flat terrain permitted the reflectors on both sides of the road to be located along the outside edge of the ditch rather than closer to the road.

This decision resulted in a larger distance between the line of reflectors and this reduced the number of reflectors needed, thereby reducing significantly the purchase and installation cost.

Also, placing the reflectors farther from the edge of the road means the time and cost for regular mowing and snowplowing will be the same as before the reflectors were installed.