A Beary California Traffic Problem

CALIFORNIA — Of the many perils of modern life in the Golden State — texting drivers, wildfires, pollution, home-invasion robberies — bear collisions wouldn’t seem like a major concern.

But it’s a bear of a problem for California drivers.

The state ranks No. 1 in the country for bear collisions, according to analyses by State Farm insurance. Over a five-year period ending in 2021, California drivers sustained upwards of $1 billion in damages from animal collisions, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That figure jumped all the way to $2 billion when analyzing reports of animal collisions filed with insurance companies, Newsweek reported.

The California Highway Patrol responded to more than 44,000 animal collisions between 2009 and 2020, the magazine reported.

Not surprisingly, Interstate 280 between San Bruno and Cupertino was California’s roadkill alley. But bear and lion collisions were surprisingly common in the nation’s most populous county as well.

On Friday, officials confirmed the death of a young mountain lion that was struck and killed in Los Angeles County a short distance down the freeway from where her mother was killed four years earlier.

That collision occurred just days after a 300-pound bear was struck and killed on a busy Los Angeles freeway. The animal was attempting to cross the connector between the San Gabriel (Interstate 605) and the Foothill freeways when it was struck by an SUV.

It’s not entirely surprising that California would have the most bear collisions in the nation. Not only does the Golden State have the most drivers, it also has the most bears. Long gone are the grizzly bears, such as the one adorning the state flag, but black bears are abundant in California. The state is home to an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 black bears, according to State Farm.

Black bears tend to wander from the forests to populated communities after awaking from hibernation in the spring, leading to more collisions.

“Hitting a bear with an automobile is no different than hitting a deer or another animal. Your automobile is covered for damage if you have comprehensive coverage,” according to State Farm. “This would include damage and vandalization done by a bear to the vehicle. If you have only liability or collision, then coverage is not available. From 2020-2021 there were 2,350 State Farm claims for bear collisions and an estimated 13,687 for the insurance industry.”

A report by the Road Ecology Center at the University of California concluded that the best solution for drivers and animals would include measures such as wildlife crossing being constructed across Interstate 101 in Los Angeles County.

"The advantages to building more wildlife crossings couldn't be more obvious. They help make roads safer for drivers and passengers while giving animals a way to roam and thrive," Tiffany Yap, senior scientist and wildlife connectivity advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Newsweek.