Duck crossing

Sign for a duck crossing on the road between two ponds fronting Lakeview Regional Medical Center south of Covington in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana

A duck crossing is either a designated place for ducks to cross a road or an informal route based on the creatures' instincts.

Despite ducks being as aware of their surroundings and possible dangers as most birds are, they still get involved in accidents. The increasing number of fatalities on the roads led to concern within local towns and communities, a solution was made to both slow traffic down and end deaths of ducks. Despite man made crossings (a sign normally) a duck crossing may also refer to a route ducks use to cross roads, if frequent sightings of ducks crossing at a certain part of a road are made then it can be considered an informal duck crossing. However these are usually signposted soon enough then becoming formal.

Duck crossings face controversy over the general public's concern that these creatures are receiving better treatment than pedestrians, however many hail duck crossing schemes as a genuine success in conservation and preservation and accept the indirect calming of traffic.

The duck crossing can be seen as an institution to preservation during the rapid urbanization of the twentieth century.

See also

• Duck
• Duck-baiting
• Duck hunting
• Ducks Unlimited
• Domesticated duck
• Duck pond
• List of fictional ducks
• Make Way for Ducklings

References

External links

• Brake for Ducks - Non-profit campaign dedicated to creating safe duck crossings, begun in 1993.
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/wear/3861059.stm - An example of the problem and solution
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4078423.stm - Another example
• http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/MES1819.php - Photographs of Duck crossings

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