In Japan, growing deer populations are causing friction on the railways. The number of deer hit by trains each year is increasing, so Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute has come up with a novel idea for curbing the problem:. Researchers there are using the sound of barking dogs to scare deer away from danger zones when trains are approaching, preventing train damage, delays, and of course, deer carnage. It’s not your standard horn. In tests, Japanese researchers attached speakers that blare out a combination of sounds designed specifically to ward off deer. First, the recording captures the animals’ attention by playing a snorting sound that deer use as an “alarm call” to warn others of danger. Then, the sound of howling dogs drives the deer away from the tracks so the train can pass.
So how do we adapt this for our cars!?