Company tests device to keep deer from roads

? A device using a flashing light and a shrill alarm is being tested on a stretch of road near Fort Dix to see whether it can deter deer.

The devices, installed by Mount Laurel company JAFA Technologies Inc., are activated when the unit senses headlights on an approaching vehicle up to 150 yards away.

Then the device emits a shrill noise and flashes a blue strobe light.

The combination of the light and the sound is designed to keep deer away from the road when a vehicle is approaching.

The devices are being installed on a stretch of rod near Fort Dix that local officials say has about 60 to 80 accidents a year involving deer.

Springfield Police Chief Kenneth Gerber said there were no deer accidents over a 10-day period after the devices were installed.