Durango, Colo. (AP) The Colorado department of transportation is testing a high-tech way to avoid crashes with deer and elk.

It launched a new wildlife detection system Tuesday along U.S. 160 in Southwest Colorado.

It involves cable buried along the highway and uses technology that some prisons have used for perimeter security.

The cable emits an electromagnetic field that can detect large animals. The information is then transmitted to a module that activates electronic signs warning drivers of wildlife on the road.

Separate detectors tell the system when a vehicle has moved past rather than an animal.