Autumn is a peak time for vehicle collisions with wild animals, resulting in driver and passenger injuries, property damage, and fatal injuries for millions of animals nationwide. The Humane Society of the United States offers the following advice to keep you and your fellow travelers safe this season:
• Dwindling daylight hours mean more cars are on the road when visibility is poor. To decrease the likelihood of a collision, drivers are urged to slow down at dawn and dusk and during the night. Use your high beams when possible, scanning along the roadsides ahead for the reflection of animal eyes.
• Expect an animal to leap into the road with little warning. Minimize distractions and leave adequate space between your car and the vehicle ahead of you, so you will have time to respond to hazards the preceding driver swerves to avoid. This added precaution will help to protect bicyclists and children at play, as well as wild creatures that may be in your path.
• Be especially alert near parks and other natural areas, and where woods or farm fields border the road. As cold weather approaches, many animals must pack on the pounds to survive hibernation, others must find and store enough food to make it through the winter. These wooded and grassy areas are prime locations for collecting food.
• When you see one wild creature, be watchful for others, since many species travel in groups. Don’t assume animals you encounter will have the sense to get out of your way. Autumn is the mating season for many animals, so you can expect their attention to be directed elsewhere.
Common sense and caution can go a long way toward preventing collisions between animals and vehicles. These safety measures may add a few moments to your trip, but they can help you avoid a dangerous, costly and time-consuming mistake.
Nina Austenberg
Director
The Humane Society
of the United States
Flanders