Wildlife

Wildlife Roadkill Monitoring and Prevention

Road vehicle collisions kill millions of wild animals annually in the UK, with monitoring programmes helping identify hotspots where targeted prevention can reduce mortality.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs, badgers, deer, and foxes are among the most commonly killed UK species
UK road casualties may exceed 100 million animals annually across all species
Roadkill data collected by volunteers identifies spatial hotspots for intervention
Wildlife crossings including tunnels and bridges reduce mortality at known hotspots
Reducing speed limits in wildlife-rich areas reduces collision rates significantly

Welfare Considerations

Road casualties cause violent death or severe injury in individual animals who cannot understand the danger of roads. Animals struck but not killed die slowly from internal injuries. Monitoring roadkill systematically identifies where culverts, underpasses, or fencing would be most effective. Speed limit reductions in ecologically sensitive areas are among the most effective and low-cost interventions.

What You Can Do

Participate in the Mammal Society roadkill monitoring programme
Reduce speed in areas with known wildlife crossing activity
Report roadkill sightings to citizen science monitoring apps
Advocate for wildlife crossings at identified hotspots during road improvement schemes
Support habitat management that reduces wildlife need to cross roads