Question: “It seems like I’ve been seeing a lot more animals dead on the road lately. Does anybody keep track of how many animals are killed by cars or know why the numbers seem to go up and down?” – Anonymous reader, Tacoma
Answer: The Washington State Patrol makes an effort to track the numbers, but it records only incidents that are reported, which is by no means all of them.
According to trooper Guy Gill, a spokesman for the State Patrol, troopers have responded to 128 reports of cars striking animals this year in Pierce and Thurston counties.
Of those, Gill said, 44 were on Interstate 5, 49 were on state highways and 35 were on county roads.
More animals are killed at this time of the year, Gill said, because it’s dark during morning and evening commutes for most drivers.
Gill advises drivers to be especially cautious in the early morning and evening hours because those are the most active times for wildlife. Also, he says, pay attention to animal-crossing signs.
“They’re there because collisions have occurred at those locations in the past,” he said.
Rob Carson: 253-597-8693
rob.carson@thenewstribune.com
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