Safe Speed Forums

Bit of an odd one here, maybe I'm just going nuts, but these last few months me and my GF are noticing a lot more dead animals on the road or at the roadside than there have ever been before, and it's quite a significant increase too. Is it just us, or has anyone else noticed this?

Now assuming there isn't some mysterious stupidity causing disease affecting the UKs wildlife, there's logically only two explanations for this

1) The population of foxes, badgers, hedgehogs etc has increased dramatically (yay for global warming )

2) Drivers have become much worse at spotting these creatures and avoiding them.

Any thoughts?

or option

3) the foxes are being killed of at such a rate they can not clear up fast enough.

I noticed it too.
I live in a relatively rural area, and the last two months or so have seen carnage around here.

Badgers, pheasants, rabbits and the odd hare seem most common, with the occasional hedgehog.

Just at the moment though, the KSI total seems to be keeping up with the wildlife toll, so I suspect it is linked to the weather which has been warmer and drier than usual.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Yes, but why are they being killed off so much more, we're back to the first two again.


I suppose it could also be that no-one is bothering to clean them up these days, too much money spent replacing all the signs with

We always get a surge in roadkill after the clocks change!

Eventually the wildlife gets used to "Our" change of habbit

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Its all due to climate change, speeding motorists and eating at the wheel, d'uh!

More wild life out on the roads because of an early spring, coupled with more tourists out earlier because of the good weather.

Could it be also that with more and more extended limits as you leave towns and villages, that motorists are increasing speeds between to "make up lost time"?
The A592 Newby Bridge road along Windermere lake, has been reduced to 50, with a couple of 40 places, and the 30 limit has been extended way out of Bowness past a point where it was once possible to pass slower tourist traffic.
Now when I travel it, I see far more drivers attempting desperate overtakes and risking theirs and others lives!

In fact, the changing limits have made little difference to average speeds, but you just SEEM to be held up more.

Of course when the road is clear, the same idiots who drove too fast at the 60 limit, still drive just as fast and dangerously as they always did.

I fully expect a fatality this summer!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I hardly saw any animals while driving last year, but in the last week I've had near misses with a badger and 2 foxes. Earlier this year I had a hare bolt out infront and keep up with the car

Might be down to the amount of night driving I've been doing this year though...

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Mike