Fences may reduce catastrophic and costly accidents between autos and wildlife.

A 22-mile stretch of fences along both sides of Interstate 280 in San Mateo County would prevent dangerous and costly collisions between deer and cars, according to a study by the UC Davis Road Ecology Center. 

Every year about 40 to 50 deer are hit by vehicles on Interstate 280, said Fraser Shilling, the center’s co-director and author of the study. “You’ve got some significant wildlife habitat right next to where people are driving 70 to 80 miles per hour,” Shilling said.

Even when drivers manage to avoid hitting deer and other animals that cross the highway, they’re put in a perilous situation by having to swerve in traffic, Shilling said. Sometimes people are killed in accidents with wildlife.

Read the full article, by Bonnie Eslinger, in the San Jose Mercury News.

Related articles:

• San Francisco Chronicle article, Jan. 10, 2014
• Read a past article in the UC ANR Green Blog on how the Road Ecology Center is working to reduce roadkill
• UC Davis news release and video on roadkill studies
• UC Davis Road Ecology Center

Media contacts:

• Fraser Shilling, UC Davis Road Ecology Center, fmshilling@ucdavis.edu
• Ann Filmer, College of Environmental Sciences, 530-754-6788, afilmer@ucdavis.edu