Common toads make annual migrations to traditional breeding ponds that require crossing roads, resulting in enormous mortality that is one of the leading causes of toad population decline.
Road mortality causes acute trauma and death for migrating toads. Surviving road accidents leaves animals injured and vulnerable. The scale of mortality at individual road crossing sites is enormous, with thousands killed in single nights at major migration routes. The predictability of toad migration allows targeted welfare interventions through toad patrol volunteers who carry animals across roads during peak migration nights.