The combination of vehicles and wildlife on California highways is all too often a costly recipe for disaster. In tandem reports, the UC Davis Road Ecology Center identified roadkill hot spots and found that wildlife vs. vehicle conflicts have resulted in 5,960 collisions and cost more than $225 million annually. “By identifying the cost and locations of these conflicts, we hope to help state and local government entities better protect wildlife and drivers from collisions,” said Fraser Shilling, co-director of the Road Ecology Center and lead for the California Roadkill Observation System. This map shows roadkill hot spots and some animals frequently involved, while the bar graph identifies the most costly regions for wildlife vs. vehicle incidents.

The cost of wildlife-related traffic accidents