Hundreds of people are injured every year in collisions involving
animals in the road, according to the latest Department for
Transport figures.
In 2017, 629 people were injured in accidents involving an animal
in the road (excluding horses) and 4 people were killed.
Transport Secretary has today (17 June 2019)
unveiled a new traffic sign, featuring a hedgehog, which warns
road users of hazards due to animals in the road ahead and could
be placed in areas where accident rates are highest.
He is calling on local authorities and animal welfare groups to
identify accident and wildlife hotspots where the sign should be
located.
The road sign is also designed to reverse the decline in wildlife
numbers, in particular, hedgehogs whose population in rural areas
has halved since 2000.
said:
We have some of the safest roads in the world but we are always
looking at how we can make them safer. Motorcyclists and other
vulnerable road users are particularly at risk.
The new small mammal warning sign should help to reduce the
number of people killed and injured, as well as helping our
precious small wild mammal population to flourish.
The Transport Secretary is also meeting with road safety experts
today, including Brake, the AA and the RAC, together with animal
protection groups including the Wildlife Trust, to discuss the
scale of the problem.
Between 2005 and 2017, 100 people were killed, with a further
14,173 injured in accidents where an animal was in the road.
Tony Campbell, chief executive of the Motorcycle Industry
Association(MCIA), said:
Powered two-wheelers provide a great solution to road
congestion, but like all road users, riders must be aware of
those around them.
Therefore the MCIA is pleased to welcome these new signs that
will help everyone, including those on 2 wheels or 4 legs,
complete their journeys more safely.
The small wildlife sign complements other warning signs already
used on UK roads, filling a gap between warnings about smaller
animals such as migratory toads and wildfowl, and large animals
such as deer and livestock.
Jill Nelson, CEO at People’s Trust for Endangered Species, said:
At PTES roadkill has long been a concern, which is why we
launched our Mammals on
Roads survey.
We have also joined forces with the British Hedgehog
Preservation Society to deliver the Hedgehog Street campaign,
meeting with Mr Grayling to express our concerns for hedgehogs
on roads and elsewhere.
We welcome this focus on road safety and protection for all
small mammals.
These signs will be used to warn motorists in areas where there
are large concentrations of small wild animals, including
squirrels, badgers, otters and hedgehogs.
The move also comes shortly before a refreshed Road Safety
Statement and two-year action plan are published. These will look
at further ways to reduce the number of deaths on the roads.
