Stockholmer Benjamin Eliasson is set to be awarded the Golden Elk award on Wednesday from Älgskadefondsföreningen, a non-profit organization working to reduce road accidents in Sweden.

 

Eliasson is the brains behind an idea that would alert motorists when large wild animals are near roads in some of the more remote parts of Sweden. 

 

Could this be the answer to the thousands of collisions reported in Sweden each year? Photo: TT

 

The concept, if made a reality, would see sensors set up in parts of Sweden where the roads are unfenced. If these sensors detected large animals nearby, a signal would be sent to the roadside poles, prompting a light to begin flashing. 

 

These flashes would alert motorists that there are large animals in the vicinity – and hopefully give them more of a chance to avoid colliding with animals such as elk.

 

While Eliasson's idea is yet to come into fruition, a working solution to reduce animal accidents on the road would certainly be useful.

 

There have been 27,000 animals hit on Swedish roads this year, with 350 motorists colliding with an elk in August alone, according to statistics from the Nationella Viltolycksrådet.