Japan to Boost Efforts to Prevent Roadkill

Tokyo, June 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry will enhance efforts this fiscal year to prevent wild animals, such as deer and raccoon dogs, from being killed in traffic. Using a website that features data on locations and times of collisions between vehicles and wild animals, the ministry’s regional development bureaus and other bodies will take steps to prevent such animals from entering roads and alert drivers in areas with frequent roadkill. According to the ministry, around 70,000 cases of roadkill occurred on state-managed roads in fiscal 2022. In March this year, the ministry created a database featuring dates, locations and which animals were killed in such collisions. The data is available on a map on the ministry’s website. Based on this data, the regional development bureaus and other bodies will develop strategies tailored to specific animal characteristics to help drivers avoid accidents. For example, road signs will be set up and drivers will be warned by voice alerts from car navigation systems in areas with frequent collisions between vehicles and large animals, such as deer. In areas with accidents involving smaller animals, such as dogs, cats and raccoon dogs, the ministry is considering setting up electronic display boards that warn drivers of animals dashing into traffic, and building fences to prevent animals from entering roads. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]