Do more animals get hit by cars on full moon nights?

Deer browsing at the side of the road. A bird foraging on the shoulder of the highway. A squirrel, fox, or raccoon dashing through their territory. A turtle trying to move from one pond to another.

All of these animals are just trying to live their lives – and all of them are at risk of death by vehicle strike when our roads cut through their habitat.

The story of wildlife-vehicle collisions is surprisingly complicated. It turns out that even the time of day can have a big effect on the number of deadly accidents.

What leads to vehicle strikes? And how can we keep wildlife safe from cars?

Do more animals get hit by cars when the moon is full?

According to one recent study, vehicle-wildlife collisions may increase nearly 50% on full moon nights compared to non-full moon nights. And it’s not just because drivers are getting into more accidents of all kinds. The data indicate that collisions between vehicles and things other than wildlife don’t change much based on the illumination of the moon.

You might think a full moon helps drivers see better on dark roads, but for many nocturnal animals, the bright full moon makes a huge difference in visibility too. On full moon nights, animal activity increases.

Animals out and about at night are doing their normal activities: foraging, hunting, migrating, socializing, and keeping an eye out for predators. Many types of wildlife roam far and wide as a part of their natural lifestyle. In addition to long seasonal migrations, wildlife often have large areas they travel daily to find new mates, locate food, or return to protected nesting areas.

As wildlife activity increases under the full moon, each individual animal may be more likely to encounter a car. Our roads cut through animal habitat and migration routes, making some wildlife-vehicle interaction almost inevitable.

Roads can pose a deadly risk to wildlife

Roads don’t follow the borders of wild habitat, and often cut through or divide the spaces animals use. Wildlife performing its normal routine may have no choice but to cross roads to access food, a nesting site, other animals of its species, or other resources.

Sometimes, roads can even draw wildlife to them, creating additional risk.

Some animals mistake headlights and light reflecting off pavement, for moonlight reflecting off water. Weather conditions matter, too. In winter, a plowed road can make an easier route of passage for animals when no other routes are available.

How many animals are hit by cars?

The Federal Highway Administration estimates that between 1 and 2 million large animals are struck by vehicles in the US each year. 

That’s not even counting smaller wildlife like small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians – which pose smaller risks to cars and drivers, but still have just as much of a need to travel their habitat safely as larger creatures.

Vehicle strikes pose a serious risk to all kinds of animals – including highly endangered ones. The government recognizes 21 federally listed endangered species for which road mortality is a major threat to the species’ future survival.

One vehicle strike led to the death of six critically endangered red wolves earlier this year. A wolf known by the designation 2444M became a new father to a family of five playful pups this spring. But in June, he was struck and killed by a car.

His mate tried her best to raise their pups alone — but without her partner, she couldn’t keep them safe. By September, despite extensive searching, the Fish and Wildlife Service was sure that all five pups were dead.

Making roads safer is a matter of survival or extinction for the red wolf, as well as plenty of other amazing animals of all kinds – from the California tiger salamander, to the desert tortoise, to the Hawaiian goose, and more.

How can we protect wildlife from vehicle strikes?

Careful and mindful driving is one important way you can avoid hitting animals on the road. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Be aware of your surroundings and scan the road as you drive. If there’s no incoming traffic, using your high beams at night can help illuminate wildlife to enable you to avoid collisions. Be especially watchful at dawn and dusk, which are the times of day when many species of animal are most active.

One of the best ways to solve this problem is to give animals a safe route to pass. Many states are now building wildlife crossings– overpasses and underpasses specially designed to allow animals to travel safely through their habitat.

These kinds of projects can hugely reduce collisions and improve safety. Take the U.S. 97 Wildlife Crossing in Oregon: 29 species were documented using the underpass within the first year after its construction, and deer-vehicle collisions on the road above were reduced by more than 90%.

Take action to support wildlife crossings and save animals from car strikes

A bipartisan bill would increase much-needed funding for wildlife corridor research and improve habitat connectivity, stitching together habitat islands so that animals can survive and even thrive.

Urge your U.S. House representative to support this legislation today.