Badger Trust shock as Government admits NO wildlife warning signs issued since 2019 introduction

Charity calls for action now to alert motorists and help save badgers and other wildlife from accidents on Britain’s roads

In response to a Badger Trust Freedom of Information request, the Department for Transport has admitted that no small wild animal warning road signs have been issued since they were introduced in 2019.

Badger Trust’s ‘Give Badgers a Brake’ road awareness campaign aims to reduce thousands of badgers killed in road accidents each year. Motorists are encouraged to slow down, report badger casualties, and save badger lives. In spring this is particularly important if female badgers with newborn cubs are killed as they roam further for food.

Supported by Chris Packham and the AA, Badger Trust called for more road signs and wrote to the government to find out how more could be put up. The shocking reply was that no signs have ever been issued. The reason given by the Department for Transport (DfT) is that no application “could provide evidence that locations are accident and wildlife hotspots.”

Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust commented:

‘Anyone who drives on rural roads will know lots of places where badgers are commonly hit. That’s because these iconic mammals follow the same ancestral paths that have been used for hundreds of years. Roads built across these ancient paths lead to so many tragic accidents. It’s terrible for badgers and distressing for motorists that so many are hit.

These wildlife warning signs were introduced to alert drivers to slow down and look out for wildlife, but none have been issued.

We will be working with local badger groups, university researchers, and local authorities to help address this through providing more data, but surely the DfT must start authorising these signs to help badgers and motorists alike.’

Jack Cousens, the AA’s Head of Roads Policy commented on the Give Badgers a Break Campaign:

‘We support the need for more road signs to warn drivers that wildlife might be on the roads in certain areas. Other than the distress that comes with hitting and usually killing such a beautiful and iconic symbol of British wildlife, there are road safety concerns with drivers making sudden evasive manoeuvres and the collision damage to vehicles.

‘Wildlife road signs are placed where there is clear evidence of a road danger. They should trigger driver awareness where there is a particular risk of collision.’

Hambly added: ‘Having more warning signs to alert drivers to slow down for Great British wildlife would help reduce accidents and the especially high death toll of badgers on the roads.

‘Up to 50,000 badgers are killed each year and many more cubs are affected when they are orphaned as a result. We need to make the roads safer for everyone.’

The campaign has the support of nature conservationist Chris Packham, who moved many people with his response to a badger killed in his local area.

Chris Packham said: ‘I was moved by the amount of people who reached out to me when Golden Sow was killed. Let’s try and prevent more tragedies like Golden Sow and keep those cubs safe. That’s why I want more road signs and other measures to alert motorists to badgers and other wildlife on our roads, especially at night. It’s a tragedy that so many badgers are killed like this each year, and double the tragedy if it’s a female with cubs.

‘So please give badgers a brake, report badger deaths to Badger Trust and be careful on the roads.’

Further information

Road safety campaign launched at a critical time for badgers and their cubs

Badgers and Road Traffic Collisions – How to Help

If the badger is injured

If the badger is alive but injured, please contact your local badger group for immediate help first, then report to Badger Trust online via the RTC report form.

Find your local badger group

Use our Badger Groups Map to find details of your local badger group or google your county/town and 'badger group'. Your RTC report is passed on to the local affiliated group, where there is one, but you could find help for an injured badger faster by contacting your local group direct first.

Report a badger casualty

Where a badger has sadly been killed as a result of a road traffic collision in England and Wales, please always report to Badger Trust online via the RTC report form. This is important because:

• We log your report for our statistics to help our national Give Badgers a Brake campaign identify accident hotspots and campaign for better measures to protect badgers

• We pass on the details to your local badger group to identify local accident hotspots and help with local campaigns to protect badgers. From January to June, checking if the badger is a lactating sow means they can try to locate and help the orphaned cubs

• We share data with The Road Lab, a specialist project run by the University of Cardiff that gathers vehicle collision reports for all wildlife species across the UK

How to report

• ​​If you're driving, make a mental note of town/village/landmarks/road signs and locate via a map later. Marking the location via what3words app or a grid reference really helps.

• Complete Badger Trust’s online report form with as much information as possible.

Badger Trust RTC reports cover England and Wales.

Report an RTC in Scotland.

Report an RTC in Northern Ireland.

Removing a dead badger

Removing dead badgers from roadways or other locations is the responsibility of your local authority. Please contact your local council to ask them to remove any dead animals.