Road traffic is one of the leading causes of hedgehog mortality in the UK, with hundreds of thousands killed annually, and a range of practical mitigation measures can reduce the toll.
Road mortality is one of the most visible and preventable welfare harms affecting UK hedgehogs. Each road death involves fear, physical trauma, and often a slow death from injuries rather than immediate killing. The aggregate welfare cost - hundreds of thousands of animals annually - is enormous. Individually, hedgehog road deaths are also population-level welfare harms: they fragment populations, removing the genetic connectivity that allows healthy population dynamics. Practical mitigation measures are well-established and do not require large resources: hedgehog highways in garden fences improve movement without requiring road changes, and highway verge management that maintains habitat connectivity is within local authority control. Road speed limits and warning signs in known crossing areas have shown effectiveness where implemented.