Annual switch from daylight saving to standard time leads to more wildlife-vehicle collisions
BOSTON – This weekend, Bay Staters will set their clocks back an hour and get a happily anticipated extra hour of sleep. But for some wildlife and drivers, this “fall back” will lead to a dangerous spike in auto accidents. Traffic patterns will change by an hour, literally overnight. That, like any abrupt shift in human activity, can catch animals off-guard and lead to more animal vs. vehicle collisions — especially in places without wildlife crossings (underpasses or overpasses) that animals use to stay out of the road.
“One of the scariest and most dangerous things that can happen to anyone is running into an animal crossing the road, and too often, wildlife have no other way to get to the other side,” said Environment Massachusetts Campaign Associate Joseph Pappas. “These accidents always tick up right after we change our clocks.”
The annual peak of deer-vehicle collisions occurs during the two-week period after the autumn time switch. One study shows that this time change results in a 16% increase in deer collisions. When we “fall back,” we create one more hour of high danger-driving. That afternoon hour of increased darkness results in more cars — often commuters — on the road when more wildlife roam. Fall is also mating season, which increases deer activity.
”Deer and other animals’ internal clocks don’t change just because humans change their external clocks,” said Pappas. “Drivers should be extra diligent when driving, especially at night. If you see a deer — or even a squirrel — along the side of the road, slow down. You never know when they might run.”
An animal darting into the road can surprise even the most vigilant and coordinated driver. That’s why the best way to minimize collisions is to keep wildlife off our roads in the first place. Wildlife crossings can take different forms, such as a tunnel or culvert under a road or a bridge over a road. When they are built with fencing, wildlife crossings can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 97%.
Gov. Maura Healey’s Biodiversity Goals for Massachusetts highlight “Protecting key wildlife migration corridors and building wildlife-friendly road crossings” as a goal. To make this goal a reality, we need action.
“Massachusetts needs to establish a dedicated fund for wildlife crossings and ensure our agencies prioritize habitat connectivity to enact the great plan they already have,” Pappas stated. “No one wins when a car and an animal square off. With more wildlife crossings, we can make our roads safer all day, all year-round.”
