Global Ecology and Conservation (Jun 2024)
The effect of COVID-19 movement restriction on Korean expressway wildlife−vehicle collisions
Abstract
The construction of roads obstructs animal movement, which directly results in fatal wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs). Owing to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, movement restrictions were imposed by the Korean government between February and March 2020, which represented the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, this study examined the effects of reduced traffic volume on WVCs. The study selected the Dangjin−Yeongdeok, Jungang, and Jungbu Expressways as study sites since they have the highest occurrence of WVCs in Korea. The sections of these expressways with the highest densities of WVCs were denoted as WVC hotspots. We categorized the period from February to March 2020 as ‘strict pandemic’. In addition, the period from February to March 2015–2019 was categorized as “pre-strict pandemic”, and between April 2020 and December 2020 was classified as the “pandemic period”. We analyzed the relationship between WVC and traffic volume for each period in the designated hotspots. As a result, there were statistically significant differences in WVCs and traffic volumes across all routes for different periods. WVCs and traffic volume showed a strong negative correlation during the strict pandemic period. WVC per traffic volume was positively correlated between the strict pandemic period and the pandemic period, while it was negatively correlated between pre-strict pandemic and strict pandemic periods. The deceleration in WVC continued after all routes were out of strict pandemic. This study shows that WVC and traffic volume are negatively correlated and that a strong, albeit temporary, traffic reduction can help reduce WVC. Therefore, the overall quantitative conclusion of this study on the interaction can serve as a valuable reference to develop practical strategies for preventing WVCs.
