Editing Roadkill (section)

===Insects===
{{See also|Windshield phenomenon}}
A 2007 study showed that insects, too, are prone to a very high risk of roadkill incidence.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rao |first1=R. Shyama Prasad |last2=Girish |first2=M. K. Saptha |title=Road kills: Assessing insect casualties using flagship taxon |journal=Current Science |date=2007 |volume=92 |issue=6 |pages=830–837 |jstor=24097817 }}</ref> Research showed interesting patterns in insect roadkills in relation to the vehicle density.

The decrease in insects being killed by cars is known as the "[[windshield phenomenon]]". In 2003–2004, the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] investigated anecdotal reports of declining insect populations in the UK by asking drivers to affix a postcard-sized PVC rectangle, called a "splatometer", to the front of their cars.<ref name=Splatometer2003>{{cite news |title='Splatometer' to count bug life |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3032476.stm |date=30 June 2003 |publisher=BBC News }}</ref> Almost 40,000 drivers took part, and the results found one squashed insect for every {{convert|5|mi}} driven. This contrasts with 30 years ago when cars were covered more completely with insects, supporting the idea that insect numbers had waned.<ref name=McCarthy2004>{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=McCarthy |title=40,000 'splatometers' can't be wrong: insect population is in decline |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/40000-splatometers-cant-be-wrong-insect-population-is-in-decline-546951.html |work=The Independent |date=2 September 2004 }}</ref>

In 2011, Dutch biologist Arnold van Vliet coordinated a similar study of insect deaths on car license plates. He found two insects killed on the license-plate area for every {{convert|10|km}} driven. This implies about 1.6 [[Trillion (short scale)|trillion]] insect deaths by cars per year in the Netherlands, and about 32.5&nbsp;trillion deaths in the United States if the figures are extrapolated there.<ref name=Messenger2011>{{cite news |last1=Messenger|first1=Stephen|title=Trillions of Insects Killed by Cars Every Year, Says Study |url=http://www.treehugger.com/cars/trillions-of-insects-killed-by-cars-every-year-says-study.html |access-date=22 June 2014 |agency=TreeHugger |date=10 Jul 2011}}</ref> The number grows to 228 trillion per year if extended globally.<ref name ="BGL"/>