Thank you for this article, Valerie.
There is a lot we can do with wildlife crossings, which can include tunnels, overpasses, ropes across roads etc. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_crossing

Last year I attended a short film screening by a woman who told me that wildlife corridors were seen by the public as an extra expense with new highways, therefore freeway-construction planners avoided creating them. I thought that she was naive and taken in by some industry-hype, but she is not the only one. How else to explain the lack of wildlife crossings and corridors in this country?

It is the developers and freeway builders who do not like wildlife corridors or wildlife. They just want open-slather and no non-paying life-forms.

The public, however, are really horrified by the carnage. We have freeways and other roads crisscrossing Australia and ringbarking the coast of this entire continent. The very least we can do is make generous wildlife crossings frequently along their length. Australian planners are very behind in this science but Australians themselves want us to make lots of wildlife crossings.

It's not always just the animals that are the roadkill. A small car at high speed colliding with a red kangaroo will root the roo. It also stands a good chance of rooting the driver.

I think that is the best way to educate people about this. Show them a graphic ad with a person copping it along with the wildlife. We do it for other road safety campaigns. Show them a nasty accident involving both types of roadkill: the sickos who don't care about the furry kind will care about the furless kind if you can get them to picture themself in the driving seat.

Cheers,

Tony

Valerie Yule:

...Good subject and close to the heart of most people I notice. I definitely do not identify with the green movement, but I do give a toss about the carnage to our wild life on the road. If the animal is killed outright it’s a blessing; but the (mostly) horrific injuries endured by the survivors of collision is appalling.

...Vehicle headlighting has an urgent need for sophisticated innovation. The legal requirement to “dip” headlights at oncoming vehicles, is a root cause of many animal collisions at night: This stupidity leaves all drivers “flying blind” until vehicles pass.

...Whats wrong with a three position headlight…one beam between high and low; this beam designed for country driving. Too simple?!

...I disagree with posters protesting the use of high beam. High beam saves the lives of animals by freezing them long enough for a vehicle to pass them...except foxes...they tend to run down the road in the direction of the light, and for that, are run down from behind.

...Semis' are also a root cause of much road carnage, with an inherent inability to even slow down for animals, let alone stop...very tragic stuff!