Measures Set to Prevent `Road Kill
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Environment announced Friday that it will work out measures to prevent animals from being hit by cars on the streets.
The ministry said that 5,565 animals of 84 species were reported killed on 102,293 kilometer-long roads nationwide last year, but the actual number is expected to be much larger than that.
The government previously tried to build eco-friendly roads next to highways or roadways for animals to walk safely when searching for food. However, many of the roads are damaged, and animals are being hit by cars while crossing the road.
The new plan will put road kill alert information on global positioning system (GPS) devices so when drivers approach areas where road kill often occurs, the machine will signal an alert message and sign.
Since the road kill injures not only the victim animals but also the motorists, the ministry plans to hold educational classes for drivers to prevent unexpected death and injury.
Also, as the revised law on road construction requires all the newly built roads to avoid wild life habitat or build eco-friendly roads, the government will tighten monitoring areas where these incidents often occur.