Roads are one of the most significant mortality causes for hedgehogs in the UK. Engineered solutions including wildlife tunnels and underpasses can substantially reduce road mortality for hedgehogs and other small mammals.
Hedgehogs struck by vehicles suffer traumatic injuries including crush injuries, internal trauma, and head injuries. Animals that survive the initial impact are often found in shock and require specialist veterinary care. Many injured hedgehogs die without being found. The repeated loss of hedgehogs from road mortality contributes to local population decline and isolation, ultimately reducing genetic diversity and resilience. Engineered solutions that allow animals to pass beneath roads safely eliminate this welfare harm at the population level without affecting individual animals directly.