Safer Roads for Wildlife and people

Annually, there are an average of 6,000 vehicle collisions with big game in Wyoming, resulting in $20-23 million in wildlife costs and $24-29 million in personal injury costs. Game and Fish, as well as the Wyoming Department of Transportation and various wildlife and community groups, want to reduce those numbers by taking action to give wildlife the green light for safe passage.

A look at the numbers

85%of wildlife collisions are with mule deer

killing up to 4 percent of the entire mule deer population a year.

30seconds between vehicles

the amount of time deer need to safely cross a road.

$11,600 Average injury & property damage costs

per big game collision.

15% of all Wyoming crashes 

are with wildlife.

What's Being Done?

In 2017, about 130 people from Game and Fish, Wyoming Department of Transportation, land owners, federal agencies, nonprofits, local and state elected officials, the University of Wyoming and the public attended the Wildlife and Roadways Summit. The goal of the summit was to identify priority areas around the state and work together to find ways to fund and implement projects that reduce wildlife/vehicle collisions, increase motorist safety, and maintain or re-establish disconnected wildlife migration routes.

From the summit a total of 240 opportunities were identified, 10 of those were marked as “high priority” for action. Solutions for each area will vary. In some locations the best option may be an underpasses or overpasses -these could be new, designed specifically for wildlife or opportunistic like existing machinery underpasses. In other locations it may be fencing, signage, or for smaller wildlife and fish it could be culverts. Solutions may be a combination of many tools and over multiple phases. Every effort helps.

This is a long-term initiative for Wyoming; no projects can be implemented quickly or without planning and funding.

Learn about the collaborative effort between Wyoming Game and Fish and Wyoming Department of Transportation to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

View the interactive map

8 tips to help keep you
safe on the roads

1

Be as aware as possible while driving and reduce speeds.

2

Use high beams to see more of the road at night.

3

Scan across the road and rights of way frequently.

4

Watch for eyeshine in the headlights.

5

Ask passengers to help watch for wildlife.

6

Know wildlife is attracted to the road if salt is used as a deicer and during spring green up.

7

Avoid herding wildlife off the road with your car. If there is a herd, creep up slowly until they disperse. You can honk to encourage them. If they don’t budge, contact Game and Fish.

8

Check out a map of potential areas drivers are more likely to encounter wildlife on roads.

Support Safe Roads Today

Donations to the Wildlife Crossing initiative help pay for a variety of projects that help make wildlife and motorists safer on Wyoming roads.

Wildlife Overpass - Trappers Point
Underpasses & Overpasseswork well with migrating animals

Highway underpasses and overpasses, coupled with fencing, can reduce crashes by 80-90 percent and ensure animals can safely cross roads to get to seasonal ranges.

Roadway sign
Signagecan make drivers aware

Signage can make drivers aware of areas where wildlife are more likely to try and cross the road or encourage motorists to slow down in these areas.

Wildlife Friendly Fencing
Fencing Proper fencing can lead wildlife

Proper fencing can help lead wildlife into a safer stretch of road or onto underpasses and overpasses where they will avoid traffic altogether.

Mowing roadway shoulders
Mowing will make wildlife more visible

Mowing will make wildlife on the side of the road more visible to drivers.

You can donate in multiple ways

Wildlife Conservation license plate

2020 License Plate Challenge

Join the 2020 challenge! Help us raise money for wildlife by reaching our goal of 2,020 conservation license plates on the road by the end of 2020. Buy a Wildlife Conservation license plate, and a portion of the application fee goes to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Buy A License Plate

Wyoming Department of Transportation logo

Donate through WYDOT

Want to donate, but don't want to change your license plate? You can send a donation to help wildlife directly to the Wildlife Conservation Fund. 


Donate through WYDOT

Wildlife and Roadways News