Britain’s landscape is highly fragmented by roads, with researchers from Cardiff University finding that more than 70% of the UK’s roadless areas are smaller than 1 km2. The researchers say that more than 60% of roadless patches in the UK are smaller than the typical area many common UK mammals need to survive, meaning species such as badgers and red foxes likely face a high risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Dr. Sarah Raymond, who completed the work during her Ph.D. at Cardiff University School of Biosciences, said, "Roads cover 20% of land globally, fragmenting land into almost 600,000 patches.

“Because of this, roads have a wide range of impacts on wildlife, including reduced habitat connectivity and wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to cause millions of animal mortalities on roads every year and are a leading cause of population decline and biodiversity loss. Analyzing roadless areas is important for identifying areas of ecological value and intensifying conservation efforts.”