Wildlife

Wild UK Hedgehog Road Safety

The welfare impact of road mortality on hedgehogs and evidence-based mitigation approaches.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs are killed on UK roads at an estimated rate of hundreds of thousands annually
Road mortality is considered a significant contributor to hedgehog population decline
Hedgehog tunnels at road crossing hotspots have been installed at some sites with positive results
Wildlife-friendly road design including fencing and culverts can redirect hedgehog movement
Night time driving speed reduction in hedgehog habitat significantly reduces strike rates

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality causes direct, traumatic death for individual hedgehogs. The scale of the problem means thousands of animals suffer this fate each year on UK roads. Mitigation at known crossing hotspots reduces individual suffering and supports population recovery.

What You Can Do

Drive slowly at night through hedgehog habitat, particularly in rural areas
Support Wildlife Trust programs creating hedgehog tunnels at road crossing hotspots
Advocate for wildlife-friendly road design requirements in new road building projects