Why Wildlife Crossings Matter for Safer Roads

Wayne Cimons

By Wayne Cimons, Associate General Counsel, Federal Affairs

For two decades, State Farm® has tracked animal-vehicle collisions to better understand where and when drivers across the country face the greatest risk. But understanding the problem matters most when it helps point toward ways to prevent it.

A safer way forward

Wildlife road crossings are one promising solution. They are overpasses, underpasses and other roadway structures that give animals a safer way to cross busy roads, helping reduce collisions with vehicles. Often paired with fencing that guides animals toward the crossing, they can help keep wildlife out of traffic while connecting habitats separated by roads and highways.

Real-world projects are already showing encouraging results. Along Colorado Highway 9 near Kremmling, a system of wildlife overpasses, underpasses and fencing resulted in a 90% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions during early monitoring.

It's an example of what thoughtfully designed infrastructure can accomplish. For drivers, the potential benefits are straightforward: fewer crashes, safer roads and less risk of injury and vehicle damage. Wildlife benefits, too, by gaining safer routes across highways that intersect their habitats.

A road-safety investment worth continuing

In 2021, Congress established the federal Wildlife Crossing Program to help states and communities build projects aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.

State Farm supports federal funding of these initiatives, including enactment of the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to help continue and expand the program.

Twenty Years of Animal Collision Information

State Farm has spent two decades using claims experience, data and the expertise of our people to help drivers understand animal collision risks. The next opportunity is using what we've learned to reduce it.

State Farm estimates there were more than 1.6 million insurance claims related to animal-vehicle collisions in the United States between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. And the consequences can be far more serious than vehicle damage. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 210 people died in animal-involved motor vehicle crashes in 2024.

One thing we've learned through our twenty years of research is that animal collisions aren't as random as they may seem. They happen more often in certain places and at certain times of year, especially during the fall when deer are more active.

Understanding those patterns can help drivers know when to be more alert. It can also help identify places where prevention could make a difference.

The bottom line

Every collision avoided can mean a driver who gets home safely, a family that avoids an unexpected repair bill and an animal that safely reaches the other side of the road.

Twenty years of research have helped State Farm better understand the risk. The opportunity for the next 20 is to use that knowledge to help prevent crashes before they happen.

Safer passages for wildlife can mean safer roads for all of us.