Wildlife roadstrike reporting gap leaves critical piece missing in road safety puzzle

Leading wildlife rescue organisation, Wildlife Victoria, has partnered with principal animal welfare and conservation organisations, RSPCA Victoria and the Invasive Species Council, to call for mandatory reporting for wildlife roadstrikes.   

The charities are urging all political parties to commit to legislative change, warning that current data gaps are masking the true scale of the crisis and putting road users at increased risk.  

The call comes amid growing concern about rising wildlife-vehicle collisions, with an estimated 10 million animals killed on Australian roads each year and Wildlife Victoria recording a 288% increase in wildlife-vehicle collision cases over the past decade.  

Primary drivers of wildlife roadstrikes across Victoria include urban development, habitat fragmentation, and the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on wildlife movement.  

Under Victoria’s Road Safety Act 1986, motorists are required to stop and render assistance to owned animals including domestic pets and agricultural livestock, but the legislation does not extend to native wildlife or invasive animal species.  

Mandatory reporting of wildlife roadstrikes would significantly improve outcomes for injured animals, reduce preventable wildlife deaths and provide a clearer picture of where interventions are needed,  and help track and manage the impact of invasive animal species like deer on road users.  

Comprehensive data collection from reporting would also support road safety outcomes for all users by helping government agencies and road managers identify high-risk locations and invest in targeted solutions that protect both wildlife and motorists. The data could also be used to identify invasive species hotspots and help state and local governments and other land managers reduce their impact. 

The proposal aligns with recommendations from the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into wildlife roadstrikes, which highlighted significant gaps in roadstrike data collection, inconsistent reporting arrangements and missed opportunities to reduce wildlife mortality and improve road safety.  

The organisations are calling on all political parties to commit to legislative reform that embeds wildlife into the Road Safety Act 1986 and positions Victoria among leading jurisdictions taking practical action to address the growing challenge of wildlife-vehicle collisions.