Vehicle collisions involving free-roaming animals pose significant traffic safety and animal welfare concerns worldwide. While wildlife-vehicle collisions have been studied thoroughly, less attention has been given to collisions involving dogs and cats. Collisions present several risks for drivers and are often fatal for the animals involved. We analyzed spatial and temporal patterns of dog and cat vehicle collisions reported by the Portuguese authorities from 2019 to 2022, identifying the factors that increase or decrease the probability of collision occurrence on national scale. Temporal analyses showed that dog and cat vehicle collisions were more concentrated in the late afternoon and at night, with a substantial increase in cat collisions in 2020. Spatially, most collisions were concentrated along the coast, where human population density is highest. Road conditions and landscape characteristics were key predictors of vehicle collision risk for both species, with human population density also influencing cat collisions. Roads with higher speed limits, road sinuosity and denser road networks increased collision probability, while traffic signs, crossings and speed cameras were associated with fewer collisions. Additionally, collisions were more frequent in areas with greater artificial and agricultural land cover than in forested, pastured or shrubland regions. Our findings highlight the need for road safety improvements, such as increased traffic signs, particularly in urban and agricultural areas. These strategies, together with responsible pet ownership and free-roaming animal management policies, are essential to reducing collisions and mitigating their impacts on both human and animal safety. • First national-scale study on dog and cat vehicle collisions in Portugal. • Road conditions and land cover influence collision risks for dogs and cats. • Traffic signs and speed cameras reduce dog and cat vehicle collisions. • Cat collisions increased in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Dog and cat collisions occurred more in the late afternoon and night.
Linck et al. (Thu,) studied this question.