Wildlife crossings that mimic natural habitats – safe, manufactured animal passageways under or over roads – are unseen lifesavers for wild animals that might otherwise be struck by vehicles when crossing roads. Resulting collisions can injure or kill humans and wildlife alike. Pedestrians walking on foot across roads – in or outside a crosswalk – are legally protected by laws that obligate motorists to yield the right-of-way or stop and use “due care and caution” to ensure that no person is injured or killed by a vehicle. Wild animals on roads, on the other hand, are defenseless.
If drivers can see an animal on the road and it is safe, they can slow down, swerve, or stop to avoid collision. Engineered wildlife crossings, either newly designed or retrofitted passages combined with high-barrier roadway fencing or concrete walls with six-inch lips similar to those used in zoos, are far more effective than warning signs that can go unseen or ignored. According to wildlife and transportation authorities, out-of-sight crossings require no driver response and dramatically decrease vehicle-wildlife collisions by 97%.
“There was nothing there before,” Florida Department of Transportation Engineer Brent Setchell said. “It’s amazing to see how quickly wildlife have adapted to the crossings and start using them in just weeks or months.”…