IT IS the bright idea which aims to prevent cars crashing into livestock in the New Forest.

Cows across the district are being fitted with reflective ear tags in a bid to prevent them being killed or injured on the roads.

Many of the Forest’s free-roaming ponies wear glow-in-the-dark collars which make them more visible at night by reflecting car headlights.

But similar collars attached to cows often come off when the animals are foraging for food in hedgerows.

Now the number tags they wear in their ears are being replaced with hi-vis versions in an attempt to reduce the number of cattle involved in accidents.

All the animals which graze the Forest are owned by people known as commoners - villagers with the right to let their stock roam the landscape.

Commoner Colin Moore discovered that reflective ear tags were being used in America and ordered some for his own animals.

The scheme is now being rolled out across the Forest by the Verderers, who administer the commoning system.

Tony Hockley, chairman of the Commoners’ Defence Association, said: “Pony deaths have halved over the past 20 years.

“Cattle deaths fluctuate but the average has not changed in 40 years.

“Last year lost 12 cows.

“All the reflective ear tags offered at our annual meeting were taken.”

Sue Westwood, clerk to the Verderers, said about 200 cows had already been fitted with the new tags and a further 2,000 had been ordered.

She added: “They do appear to help.

“They certainly show up well.”