Bright idea: Cows get glow-in-the-dark horns to prevent late night crashes (PHOTOS)

In an attempt to cut down on the number of road accidents involving cattle, police in central India have decided to attach glow-in-the-dark bands to the horns of stray cattle.

Authorities in the state of Madhya Pradesh have decided that by sticking orange radium reflective bands on the horns of 300 stray cattle, it will make it easier for drivers to spot them at night.

Described as a “huge traffic menace” by India Today, hundreds of cattle are allowed to roam freely on roads across the country but this has led to an increasing number of incidents in recent years.

© Manas Kumar‎ © Facebook

© Manas Kumar‎ © Facebook

"Many drivers injured themselves or killed the cattle after running over them at night," said Kailash Chauhan, traffic police inspector for Balaghat district. "There was an urgent need to prevent such accidents.”

Police have said the bands have helped improve the situation but there are not enough officers available to place them on the animals, and they also encounter a number of cattle who are more interested in chasing the officers than donning their new accessories.

Chauhan added that it’s only a temporary solution as the bands don’t last long. The hope is for the local government to fund the purchase of "permanent radium paint” to apply to the horns of stray cows and bulls.

According to the World Health Organisation, around 231,000 people die on India's roads each year. In 2015, more than 550 people were killed on Indian roads in accidents involving stray animals.

Similarly, in Finland, a number of reindeer had their antlers painted in 2015 with glow-in-the-dark paint in an attempt to reduce the number of road deaths involving the animal each year, according to the Daily Mail.