Target: Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, England
Goal: Enforce stricter speed controls and permanent wildlife-protection measures on New Forest roads to prevent animal deaths.
Animal deaths on New Forest roads are rising sharply, with a reported 27 percent increase in animal-related accidents in a single year. Forest roads cut directly through habitats used daily by ponies, cattle, deer, pigs, and smaller wildlife, placing animals in constant danger from speeding vehicles. Each collision causes suffering, loss of life, and distress to drivers and the wider community.
Police have begun targeted speed enforcement through Operation Mountie, focusing on accident-prone roads and campsites. While early enforcement has resulted in only a small number of stops, the scale of animal injuries and deaths makes clear that intermittent crackdowns are not enough. Speeding remains a persistent threat across the New Forest, particularly during low-visibility hours and peak visitor seasons.
The New Forest is a protected landscape where animals have legal rights to roam. Preventing avoidable deaths requires consistent enforcement, lower speed limits, better signage, traffic-calming infrastructure, and sustained collaboration between police, land managers, and road authorities. This petition calls for long-term, enforceable solutions that prioritise animal safety and public responsibility.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Jones,
We are writing to urge stronger and permanent action to address the rising number of animal deaths on New Forest roads. A significant increase in animal-related collisions shows that current measures are not sufficient to protect wildlife and livestock that legally roam this protected area.
Targeted enforcement efforts such as Operation Mountie are an important step, but animals remain at risk every day from excessive speed on roads that pass directly through their habitat. Without consistent speed reduction, physical traffic-calming measures, and visible enforcement, preventable deaths will continue.
We respectfully ask that your office prioritise permanent speed controls, expanded enforcement coverage, and improved driver awareness across the New Forest. Protecting animals on these roads is both a welfare obligation and a public safety necessity.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Altaf Shah
