20 18 Bears Killed by Speeding Cars So Far and the Busiest Tourist Weekend of the Summer is Right Around the Corner

Speeding cars barrel past a sign warning them to slow down in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Kai Schreiber.

I just answered an email from reader Carrie who said, “A Yosemite park ranger told me yesterday that the park has lost 15 bears already this year due to careless drivers. Is this true?”

(Authors note: I just amended this post after hearing from Jeffrey Trust 2 more bears were killed by automobiles on Friday bringing the total killed this year to 20. The National Park Service page on bears probably won’t reflect this change in totals for a few days.)

Well actually it’s not, the number is higher. So far this year 20 18 bears, untold amounts of deer, squirrels and other animals have been hit and killed by cars. Were they all killed by people speeding? Maybe. Could they have been saved by people slowing down? Probably.

It’s easy for people to get distracted while driving in Yosemite. I mean, there’s so much to see. Bears, unfortunately for them, were never told not to step out in front of moving cars. Slowing down gives you more of an opportunity to brake when an animal steps in the path of your vehicle. Not only does slowing down give you a better chance to avoid hitting a bear, you also have a better chance of not becoming a fatality in an automobile crash, the number one killer of visitors to Yosemite.

So slow down and take your time. It helps everyone.