June 18, 2024
On The Road Safety for Truckers and Animals
How did the kitten cross the road? With a trucker’s help! Last month, a truck driver unexpectedly became a hero when he spotted a black kitten stranded on a busy highway. In this heartwarming tale, the trucker’s quick thinking and selfless act saved the kitten’s life. His actions not only rescued a life but also prevented a potential accident. Truck drivers often encounter animals on the road, and the endings aren’t always as happy. Increasing safety for truckers and animals on the road means supporting efforts to create safe wildlife crossings and raising awareness of high-traffic areas.
Where Are Animal Crossings Most Encountered?
Many animals are trapped on busy highways, with smaller pets becoming an issue in larger populated cities and big and small wildlife in mountain towns and rural areas. Wyoming is no stranger to wildlife, and many highways throughout the state are hot spots for wildlife activity. Colorado is also one giant forest when you venture outside of Denver. Despite wildlife crossings, the state still needs many of them to ensure the safety of both animals and drivers.
How Has Safety for Animals and Truckers Improved?
Last December, the FHWA awarded funding to 19 proposed wildlife crossing projects for the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program, which started in 2021. Many projects focus on the Midwestern states, which have extensive wildlife activity.
Many states are taking additional measures to add extra wildlife crossing options. Virginia is developing a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan, which has helped identify high-traffic wildlife areas within the state. Deer and black bears are Virginia’s primary at-risk animals, with over 60,000 deer-related collisions happening annually. Data analyzers compiled evidence on wildlife-vehicle conflicts, identifying the parts of the state with the highest activity.
More On the Road Safety for Truckers and Animals
Besides attempting to create more wildlife crossing options in these areas, states are increasing signage frequency and size to warn drivers of possible animal crossings better. Being a safe driver sometimes isn’t enough when animals can run into the street unexpectedly. Truckers are especially vulnerable in areas with larger wildlife because a collision can be fatal not only to the animal and driver but also to the truck and the goods it carries.
Bigger fences along high-traffic highways can keep some animals from wandering onto the road and instead find an alternate, hopefully, safer path. Increasing lighting along dark highways in rural areas will also increase visibility at night. Checking truck brakes before a big trip is always important, especially if heading into areas with increased animal crossing activity. Ensuring your vehicle is functioning correctly will help avoid stress on the road.
The kitten in the story was rescued by a trucker who had the chance to stop traffic until it was safely removed. Not every animal on a highway has a happy ending, and many truckers must deal with the devastation of hitting one. However, implementing wildlife crossings, increased awareness in high-traffic areas, and better protection of endangered habitats can significantly reduce such incidents. These measures will lead to happier rescue stories and make our roads safer for animals and truckers. If the rescue didn’t warm our hearts enough, we were delighted to find out the kitten also found a forever home with one of the dispatchers called to its rescue.
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