Useful Tips to Avoid Hitting Animals on the Road

Thu, 2/22/2018 - 5:54 pm by Kirsten Rincon

The risk of running into an animal while driving and hitting one is more serious than one might think. It’s especially the case in rural areas, where a lot of animals come out of the woods running across roads. If you happen to hit an animal with your car, it will not only seriously injure or even kill the animal itself, but it is also dangerous for you and all the passengers in your car. So, you have to be very careful and keep your eyes on the road in order to avoid this kind of situations.

Before you even get in your car, you should think about what route to take. Try and avoid roads that have plenty of trees on the sides that make it difficult for you to see clearly and notice when an animal is about to pop up in front of you and react in time. Also, avoid going on the road during nighttime, when most of the animals move go out from their natural environment and seek food.

Using high beam headlights in areas with poor visibility is also advisable. That way you can see further away ahead of you and increase the possibility of stopping if you see an animal in front of your car. Plus, strong lights can scare away the animal and make it retreat into the woods.

Although your instincts will probably tell you to make sharp swerve if an animal shows up on the road, that might not always be the smartest way to go. That way you would put yourself at risk and put other drivers in danger, so you might be forced to make a decision on who you should spare, the animal or other peoples’ lives.

In the end, if you do hit an animal, the responsible thing to do is try and transport it to a veterinarian’s office or a wildlife shelter, instead of just moving on as if nothing had happened.