A $350m pilot programme has been unveiled by the US Department of Transportation to reduce accidents by building animal crossings above and below roads, and increasing warning signs and tracking tools.
A million people are involved in collisions with animals each year, and around 200 suffer fatal injuries.
The five-year, $350m programme will begin this year with a $111m grant.
Pete Buttigieg, US transportation secretary, said: “Every year, Americans are injured and killed in crashes involving cars and wildlife.
“By launching the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Programme, we are taking an important step to prevent deadly crashes in communities across the country and make America’s roadways safer for everyone who uses them.”
Shailen Bhatt, a federal highway administrator, said: “We’re going to take commonsense steps to reduce collisions and make roads safer for rural and urban communities alike.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, communities that may not previously have had access to funding for these critical projects can finally make roads safer while protecting wildlife and their movement corridors.”
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