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Animal deaths on UK roads fell sharply during covid-19 lockdowns

The coronavirus lockdowns presented a rare natural experiment to see what happens to wildlife collisions when the traffic declines drastically

By Joshua Rapp Learn

1 May 2023

Animals benefitted from the drop in vehicles during lockdowns

Paul Biggins/Alamy

The number of animals killed in traffic collisions fell dramatically during covid-19 lockdowns in the UK, according to data from a citizen science project.

Such accidents are a huge problem in the UK, causing death or injury to animals and drivers. Sarah Perkins at Cardiff University in the UK and her colleagues have kept a database of roadkill reports in the UK since 2013. The public can submit observations through social media, the Road Lab website or the Project Splatter app.

The …

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