Road mortality is a significant cause of hedgehog death, estimated to kill several hundred thousand UK hedgehogs annually. Physical infrastructure solutions and driver behaviour change can reduce this toll.
Individual hedgehogs struck by vehicles suffer traumatic injuries and painful deaths. The cumulative welfare impact of hundreds of thousands of annual road deaths is enormous. Physical infrastructure solutions including underpasses, culverts, and hedgehog-permeable fencing at road crossings directly reduce mortality without requiring ongoing behaviour change and represent the most durable welfare intervention.