Finnish reindeer herders launch safety app

Finnish reindeer herders are giving drivers a reindeer warning app hoping it will reduce the annual 4000 reindeer road deaths.

In efforts to cut road kill, Finnish reindeer herders have painted Rudolph's antlers in fluorescent colours, hung reflectors round their necks and even used movable traffic signs.

They've not been successful, so they're turning to drivers with a reindeer warning app hoping it will reduce the annual 4000 reindeer road deaths.

In a pilot project, drivers of heavy transport vehicles are being given 1000 free interactive mobile gadgets which warn them of nearby reindeer and allow them to register their own sightings with a tap on the screen.

If successful, the app will be available for download on all smart phones later this year.

Some 300,000 reindeer roam the wilds of Arctic Finland, providing work for 10,000 people in the sparsely populated northern wilderness.


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Source: AAP



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