Roads kill millions of wild animals annually worldwide, causing individual suffering at enormous scale. Mitigation measures from wildlife crossings to speed reductions can significantly reduce this toll.
Road mortality is one of the largest sources of acute traumatic injury and death for wild animals, yet it receives relatively little welfare attention compared to its scale. Animals struck by vehicles rarely die instantaneously — they frequently suffer injuries that cause prolonged distress before death or intervention. Beyond the immediate welfare impact on individuals, road mortality disrupts population connectivity, separates family groups and imposes ongoing mortality pressure that can tip declining populations toward local extinction. The range of available mitigations is substantial: wildlife crossing structures, amphibian tunnels, habitat fencing to guide animals to crossings, seasonal wildlife warning systems, and reduced speed limits all have evidence for effectiveness and are relatively inexpensive relative to road construction costs.