Editing Roadkill (section)

==Prevention==
{{anchor|Prevention}}
[[File:Goat underpass.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mountain goat]]s used to cross [[US Route 2]] to reach a [[salt lick]] on the other side of the canyon. Now they can get there via rocky passageways underneath these bridges, shielded from view by tree cover and the steep hillside.]]
[[File:Australia animal warning sign.jpg|thumb|[[Traffic signs]] are often used to warn of areas with increased animal activity. These signs are not always successful, as shown by the dead [[emu]] in the far distance to the right of the sign.]]

Collisions with animals can have many negative consequences:
*Death and suffering of animals struck by vehicles
*Injury to, or death of, vehicle occupants
*Harm to endangered species
*Loss of livestock or pets
*Vehicle damage
*Economic losses (cleanup, repairs to vehicles, etc.)
*Being a distasteful sight, particularly costly to locations economically reliant on tourism<ref name="CSIRO 2008"/>

Regardless of the spatial scale at which the mitigation measure is applied, there are two main types of roadkill mitigation measures: changing driver behavior, and changing wildlife behavior.<ref name="Magnus et al 2004 p3">{{cite book |last1=Magnus |first1=Zoë |last2=Kriwoken |first2=Lorne K. |last3=Mooney |first3=Nicholas J. |last4=Jones |first4=Menna E. |title=Reducing the Incidence of Wildlife Roadkill: Improving the visitor experience in Tasmania |date=2004 |publisher=Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism |url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/3027/ |isbn=978-1-920704-79-7 |page=3 }}</ref>

There are three potential ways to change driver behavior. Primary methods focus on changing driver attitude by increasing public awareness and helping people understand that reducing roadkill will benefit their community. The second potential way is to make people aware of specific hazardous areas by use of signage, rumble strips or lighting. The third potential way is to slow traffic physically or psychologically, using [[chicane]]s or speed bumps.

There are three categories of altering wildlife behavior. Primary methods discourage wildlife from loitering on roadsides by reducing food and water resources, or by making the road surfaces lighter in color which may make wildlife feel more exposed on the roadway. Second are methods of discouraging wildlife from crossing roads, at least when cars are present, using equipment such as ultrasonic whistles, reflectors, and fencing. Third are mechanisms to provide safe crossing like overpasses, underpasses and escape routes.

Although it is not illegal to help wild animals that are in danger of becoming roadkill, stopping on the highway is potentially dangerous and may result in injury or death of the person that is helping them and/or an inattentive driver that collides into their stopped vehicle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Woman faces life in prison after saving ducks | website=[[YouTube]] | date=23 June 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skXN6-lrdAw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/skXN6-lrdAw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Large animals===
[[File:Moosecrossingkenaiak.JPG|thumb|Moose crossing sign with kill counter, [[Kenai, Alaska]]. Trees and brush near the road are trimmed back to make approaching moose easier to see.]]
In the US, an estimated 1.25&nbsp;million insurance claims are filed annually due to collisions with deer, elk, or moose, amounting to 1 out of 169 collision damage claims.<ref name="SFarm">{{cite web|title=Watch Out For Animals In The Road|url=https://learningcenter.statefarm.com/safety-2/auto-2/watch-out-for-animals-in-the-road/|website=State Farm|access-date=2016-02-28|date=Sep 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307151914/https://learningcenter.statefarm.com/safety-2/auto-2/watch-out-for-animals-in-the-road/|archive-date=2016-03-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Collisions with large animals with antlers (such as deer) are particularly dangerous, but any large, long-legged animal (e.g. horses, larger cattle, camels) can pose a similar cabin incursion hazard.<ref name="Tchir" /> Injury to humans due to driver failure to maintain control of a vehicle either while avoiding, or during and immediately after an animal impact, is also common. Dusk and dawn are times of highest collision risk.<ref name="Chan">{{cite news |last1=Chan |first1=Emily |title=Wait – don't swerve! How to safely share the road with wildlife |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/wait-don-t-swerve-how-to-safely-share-the-road-with-wildlife-1.1878027 |access-date=2016-02-28 |work=CTV News |publisher=BellMedia |date=June 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name="DefDrv">{{cite web |title=What You Should Do If There's An Animal On the Road |url=https://www.defensivedriving.com/blog/stop-go-swerve-what-to-do-if-there-is-an-animal-in-the-roadway/ |website=DefensiveDriving.com|access-date=2016-02-28|date=March 2, 2011}}</ref>

The recommended reaction to a large animal (such as a moose) is to slow down in lane, if at all possible, and to avoid swerving suddenly, which could cause loss of control.<ref name="SFarm" /><ref name="Chan" /> If a collision cannot be avoided, it is best to swerve towards the rear end of the animal, as it is more likely to run forward.<ref name="SDT">{{cite web|title=Animals on the Road |url=http://www.sdt.com.au/safedrive-directory-ANIMALSONTHEROAD.htm|website=Safe Drive Directory|publisher=Safe Drive Training |access-date=2016-02-28}}</ref> Drivers who see a deer near or in the roadway should be aware that it is very likely that other members of a herd are nearby.<ref name="DrvEd">{{cite web |title=How to Minimize the Chances of Hitting Animals |url=https://driversed.com/driving-information/sharing-the-road-with-others/how-to-minimize-the-chances-of-hitting-animals.aspx|website=DriversEd.com|access-date=2016-02-28}}</ref>

Acoustic warning [[deer horn]]s can be mounted on vehicles to warn deer of approaching automobiles, though their effectiveness is disputed.<ref>Palmer, Janice. [http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/021118/02111812.htm "Deer-Whistles Ineffective, Says Bioacoustics Researcher."] November 2002. 21 November 2008</ref> Ultrasonic wind-driven whistles are often promoted as a cheap, simple way to reduce the chance of wildlife-vehicle collisions. In one study, the sound pressure level of the whistle was 3&nbsp;dB above the sound pressure level of the test vehicle, but caused no observable difference in behavior of animals when the whistles were activated and not activated, casting doubt on their effectiveness.<ref name="Magnus et al 2004 p10">{{cite book |last1=Magnus |first1=Zoë |last2=Kriwoken |first2=Lorne K. |last3=Mooney |first3=Nicholas J. |last4=Jones |first4=Menna E. |title=Reducing the Incidence of Wildlife Roadkill: Improving the visitor experience in Tasmania |date=2004 |publisher=Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism |url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/3027/ |isbn=978-1-920704-79-7 |page=10 }}</ref>

In Australia, kangaroos are the most common species hit and killed by vehicles,<ref>Green-Barber JM, Old JM (2019). What influences road mortality rates of eastern grey kangaroos in a semi-rural area? BMC Ecology. 4, 11. doi: 10.1186/s40850-019-0047-8</ref> causing significant damage and even fatalities. Another large species hit and killed by vehicles are wombats.<ref>Mayadunnage S., Stannard HJ, West P, Old JM (2022). Identification of hotspots and the factors affecting wombat vehicle collisions using the citizen science tool, WomSAT. Australian Mammalogy. doi: 10.1071/AM22001</ref> Sightings of wombat roadkill can be logged at WomSAT to help support the implementation of mitigation strategies to reduce wombat deaths.<ref name="WomSAT"/><ref name="Skelton"/>

===Small animals===
Squirrels, rabbits, birds, or other small animals are often crushed by vehicles. Serious accidents may result from motorists swerving or stopping for squirrels in the road.<ref name=Marshall>{{cite news |last=Marshall |first=Edward|title=Squirrel blamed for accident: Couple struck head-on after woman swerves to avoid animal |url=http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/505127/Squirrel-blamed-for-accident.html |access-date=6 May 2012 |newspaper=[[The Journal (West Virginia newspaper)|The Journal]] (Martinsburg, WV)|date=March 31, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102003457/http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/505127/Squirrel-blamed-for-accident.html |archive-date=2 November 2013 }}</ref><ref name=CST>{{cite news|title=Driver says squirrels made him crash into garage |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/8018878-418/driver-says-squirrels-made-him-crash-into-garage.html |access-date=19 April 2012 |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |date=October 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106204400/http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/8018878-418/driver-says-squirrels-made-him-crash-into-garage.html |archive-date=January 6, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=Whidbey>{{cite web|title=Confused squirrel causes three-car accident|url=http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/news/21576764.html|work=South Whidbey Record|publisher=Sound Publishing Inc. |access-date=19 April 2012|date=25 Jun 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101235927/http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/news/21576764.html |archive-date=1 November 2013 }}</ref><ref name="NatPost">{{cite news |title=Vancouver island driver who hit the brakes for squirrel causes huge four-vehicle crash |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/vancouver-island-driver-who-hit-the-brakes-for-squirrel-on-causes-huge-four-vehicle-crash |access-date=2016-02-28|work=National Post|publisher=Postmedia Network Inc. |date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> Such evasive maneuvers are often unproductive, since small rodents and birds are much more agile and quicker to react than motorists in heavy vehicles. There is very little a driver can do to avoid an unpredictably darting squirrel or rabbit, or even to intentionally hit one. The suggested course of action is to continue driving in a predictable, safe manner, and let the small animal decide on the spur of the moment which way to run or fly; the majority of vehicular encounters end with no harm to either party.<ref name="Tchir">{{cite news |last1=Tchir |first1=Jason |title=What should you do if you see an animal on the road?|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/what-should-you-do-if-you-see-an-animal-on-the-road/article19494060/ |access-date=2016-02-28|work=The Globe and Mail|publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc. |date=July 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name=NoSwerve>{{cite news|title=Swerving can be worse than hitting animal on road|url=http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/story/2012-01-11/Swerving-can-be-worse-than-hitting-animal-on-road/52495428/1 |access-date=6 May 2012|newspaper=USA Today |date=11 Jan 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504083202/http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/story/2012-01-11/Swerving-can-be-worse-than-hitting-animal-on-road/52495428/1 |archive-date=4 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="OntHbk" />

===Night driving===
Although strikes can happen at any time of day, deer tend to move at dusk and dawn, and are particularly active during the October–December [[Estrous cycle|mating season]] as well as late March and early April in the Northern Hemisphere.<ref name="DrvEd" /> Driving at night presents its own challenges: nocturnal species are active, and visibility, particularly side visibility, is reduced. Penguins, for example, are common roadkill traffic victims in [[Wellington, New Zealand]] due to their color and the fact that they come ashore at dusk and leave again around dawn.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/the-demise-of-juan-carlos-and-his-feathered-friends/ |title=Roadkill in Wellington |date=13 September 2015 |access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref>

Night time drivers should reduce speed and use high beam headlights when possible to give themselves maximum time to avoid a collision.<ref name="DrvEd" /> However, when headlights approach a nocturnal animal, it is hard for the creature to see the approaching car (nocturnal animals see better in low than in bright light). Furthermore, the glare of oncoming vehicle headlights can dazzle some species, such as rabbits; they will freeze in the road rather than flee. It may be better to flash the headlights on and off, rather than leaving them on continuously while approaching an animal.<ref name="SFarm" />

The simple tactics of reducing speed and scanning both sides of the road for foraging deer can improve driver safety at night, and drivers may see the [[Tapetum lucidum|retro-reflection]] of an animal's eyes before seeing the animal itself.<ref name="Chan" /><ref name="DefDrv" /><ref name="OntHbk">{{cite web|title=Animals on the road |url=http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/handbook/section2.10.7.shtml |website=Ontario Ministry of Transportation: Driver's Handbook |publisher=Government of Ontario |access-date=2016-02-28}}</ref>

===Wildlife crossings===
{{main|Wildlife crossing}}

Wildlife crossings allow animals to travel over or underneath roads. They are most widely used in Europe, but have also been installed in a few US locations and in parts of Western Canada. As new highways cause habitats to become increasingly fragmented, these crossings can play an important role in protecting endangered species.

In the US, sections of road known to have heavy deer cross-traffic will usually have warning signs depicting a bounding deer; similar signs exist for moose, elk, and other species. In the American West, roads may pass through large areas designated as "[[open range]]", meaning no fences separate drivers from large animals such as cattle or bison. A driver may round a bend to find a small herd standing in the road. Open range areas are generally marked with signage and protected by [[cattle grid]]s.

In an attempt to mitigate US$1.2 billion in animal-related vehicular damage, a few US states now have sophisticated systems to protect motorists from large animals.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Huijser |first1=Marcel P. |first2=Patrick T. |last2=McGowen |first3=Whisper |last3=Camel |year=2006 |title=Animal vehicle crash mitigation using advanced technology phase I: review, design, and implementation |publisher=Western Transportation Institute |url=https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21863 }}{{page needed|date=December 2019}}</ref> One of these systems is called the Roadway Animal Detection System (RADS).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cotrip.org/its/ITS%20Guidelines%20Web%20New%20Format%201-05/Web%20Solutions%20Packages/ITS%20Solution%20Packages%20-%20Web%20Copy/Animal%20Detection%20RAD-00-042-BRC%20Rev%203.pdf |title=Roadway Animal Detection System, Sensor Technologies & Systems, Inc. |access-date=2013-11-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031040542/http://www.cotrip.org/its/ITS%20Guidelines%20Web%20New%20Format%201-05/Web%20Solutions%20Packages/ITS%20Solution%20Packages%20-%20Web%20Copy/Animal%20Detection%20RAD-00-042-BRC%20Rev%203.pdf |archive-date=2014-10-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.safeguards.com/product_info/ADS.pdf |title=Animal Detection System, Safeguards Technology, LLC |access-date=2013-11-16}}</ref> A solar powered sensor can detect large animals such as deer, bear, elk, and moose near the roadway, and thereafter flash a light to alert oncoming drivers. The sensor's detection distance ranges from {{convert|650 |feet}} to unlimited, depending on the terrain.

===Canopy crossings===
[[File:Lion tailed macaque canopy bridge.jpg|thumb|Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) on the canopy bridge in [[Annamalai Hills]]<ref name=roundglass>{{cite web|url=https://round.glass/sustain/conservation/saving-lion-tailed-macaque-impact-story-western-ghats/|author= Rishika Pardikar|title=Saving the Lion-Tailed Macaque, One Step at a Time}}</ref>]]
The removal of trees associated with road construction produces a gap in the [[forest canopy]] that forces arboreal (tree dwelling) species to come to the ground to travel across the gap. Canopy crossings have been constructed for [[red squirrel]]s in Great Britain, [[colobus monkey]]s in Kenya, and [[ringtail possum]]s in Far North Queensland, Australia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Norwood |first1=Chris |title=Linkages in the Landscape: The Role of Corridors and Connectivity in wildlife Conservation |journal=Pacific Conservation Biology |date=1999 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=158 |doi=10.1071/PC990158 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The crossings have two purposes: to ensure that roads do not restrict movement of animals and also to reduce roadkill. Installation of the canopy crossings may be relatively quick and cheap.

===Escape routes===
Banks, cuttings and fences that trap animals on the road are associated with roadkill.<ref>Shaw, R.A., Jones, M.E. and Richardson, A.M.M. (2003) ''Predicting the location of wildlife road-kill in Tasmania'' (In-prep.){{full citation needed|date=December 2019}} cited in: {{cite book |last1=Magnus |first1=Zoë |last2=Kriwoken |first2=Lorne K. |last3=Mooney |first3=Nicholas J. |last4=Jones |first4=Menna E. |title=Reducing the Incidence of Wildlife Roadkill: Improving the visitor experience in Tasmania |date=2004 |publisher=Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism |url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/3027/ |isbn=978-1-920704-79-7 |page=14 }}</ref> In order to increase the likelihood of escape from a main roadway, escape routes have been constructed on the access roads. Escape routes may be considered as one of the most useful measures, especially when new roads are being built or roads are being upgraded, widened or sealed. Research may be undertaken into the efficacy of escape routes by observation of animals’ response to vehicles in places with natural escape routes and barriers, rather than trialing purpose-built escape routes.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

===Fencing===
In the [[New Forest]], in southern England, there is a proposal to fence roads to protect the [[New Forest pony]].{{citation needed |date=August 2012}} However, this proposal is controversial.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7843664.stm |work=BBC News |title=Fencing to protect ponies |date=2009-01-21 |access-date=2010-04-10}}</ref>