Roads + animals = roadkill

There are some guarantees with cycling. Beyond the promise of adventure and the chance to witness unique and beautiful sights, at some point you’re bound to spot -- or smell -- road kill. No matter where you are, it appears that dead animals go hand in hand with roads.

Cyclists do play a part in this carnage: untold numbers of insects and handfuls of sunning reptiles have met their match with 1.25 inch rubber. Some of us have harrowing tales of near misses and the occasional ‘hit and roll’ with larger creatures.

Yet cyclists’ involvement in the 2 million animals killed on U.S. roads every year is negligible. Cars and trucks are the big problem. But, excitingly, there are many tools available to reduce roadkill levels. These range from changing driver behavior through signage and education, to changing wildlife behavior, or changing the landscape through which wildlife move using wildlife crossing structures (see picture below) and fencing.

To learn about wildlife crossing structures and other mitigation tools, check out this wildlife-vehicle collision reduction study report and this educational website.

We all can drive our cars slower and pay more attention to wildlife. We can also support roadkill mitigation efforts by donating to or volunteering with organizations working on these issues. Of course, the most enjoyable way we can reduce our impact on wildlife is to jump on our bikes and self-propel our way through life. Just keep your eyes open for caterpillars.

photos by Kylie Paul

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GREENCYCLE is posted each Saturday by Kylie Paul, Adventure Cycling’s sales and shipping specialist. With a lifetime commitment to conservation, Kylie hopes to share the many ways that bicycling and Adventure Cycling are helping to improve our planet!