I recently got my driver’s license, but I won’t drive. Though I’m already in college, my parents delayed my driving as much as they could, partly because adding teen auto insurance would bring more financial burden on our family. Plus, I’m wildly clumsy. I’d only be a liability at 60 miles per hour.

Knowing this, it wasn’t just my parents who were scared. I’m terrified of accidents — of the possibility of missing my blind spot while merging, of a pedestrian popping up in front of me or even scratching the car leaving a parking spot.


Also enjoys the wildflowers along the side of Lancaster’s country roads [letter]

But lately, I’ve been scared of another type of sudden accident.

Pennsylvania is one of the top states for animal-vehicle collision risk, with more than 150,000 insurance claims filed between 2023 and 2024. Regardless of whether you’re a good driver, there’s a chance anyone could add to these statistics — and pay the price for it. Each year in the United States, animal collisions cost more than $8 billion, injuring 26,000 and killing more than 200 people.

But Gov. Josh Shapiro recently created the Pennsylvania Wildlife Connectivity Work Group, a statewide interagency initiative to build more wildlife corridors across the commonwealth.

More wildlife corridors would mean fewer animals on the road that I might hit. I thank Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for helping my parents, me and the rest of the commonwealth to reduce the costs of driving. And maybe, just maybe, my hands will grasp the wheel soon.

Rachel Jeong

Philadelphia

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