How To Avoid Vehicle Collisions With Wildlife
Coming across wildlife while driving on a highway around the mountains, countryside, or woods can be a scary experience. Animals often find their way from the woods to highways and residential streets, exposing themselves to vehicle collisions. Although animals are more active during specific times of the year, the threat of colliding with wildlife prevails throughout the year. This blog provides tips on how to best avoid vehicle and wildlife collisions.
Look Out For Signs
Specific signs are placed in high trafficked areas known to have wildlife. These signs should act as your first warning and should be taken seriously.
Look Ahead
When you see yellow wildlife warning signs or simply when you are driving near the mountains or woods, always be alert of your surroundings. Look ahead and preempt any animal presence on the road to avoid collisions.
Slow Down
The best way to avoid an accident is by reacting sensibly to a certain situation. When in a wildlife sensitive area, always stay within the speed limit. It is better to slow down below the speed limit in a wildlife-prone area to give yourself more time to break across an animal on the road. Doing this will also make your vehicle easier to maneuver.
Stay Alert During Dawn And Dusk
Dawn and dusk are high wildlife activity times. Moreover, these are the times with less visibility on the road. So, stay extra alert, while driving at these times. You can use your high beams to increase your visibility, but stay courteous to other drivers and turn them off near ongoing or heavy traffic areas.
Keep The Time Of The Year In Mind
Animals are hyperactive during specific times of the year, and especially during mating season. This season usually starts in October and ends in January. During the mating season, animals track smells in search of mates and have greater chances of crossing the woods and entering onto highways and residential streets. So, be extra careful when driving near wildlife-prone areas during this said time of the year.
Watch For Herds
Animals usually travel in groups. So, if you come across one animal on the road, there are ample chances that there will be another one nearby. Therefore, never speed up immediately after passing by an animal on the highway. It is better to wait for a bit to make sure no other animal is there. If you come across a herd of deer, cow, elk, don’t panic, but wait patiently and let them pass or just keep driving at the minimum speed.
Use Your Horn
If you are lucky enough to spot the animal from far, slow down and honk your horn. This can scare the animal away from the road by the time you reach the spot.
Use The Central Lane
When on a multi-lane highway, always try to drive using the central lane. This gives a better berth to grazing deers and provides you with more time to react to any wildlife entering from both sides of the road.
Lean Towards The Door
Unfortunately, if you are hit by a large animal, try to lean towards the door of the vehicle and not the center part. As animals are hit head-on, they try to roll on the car, destroying the windshield and roof.
Suffered A Collision?
If you ever find yourself in a collision with wildlife despite taking all the precautions mentioned above call Action Towing as we are always there to reach you in desperate times and provide you with the required roadside assistance to tow you and your car to your desired repair center.
About Us
Action Towing is a reputable towing company working in Edmonton, providing its customers with the quality towing and roadside assistance services 24/7. If you are stuck in any vehicle emergency contact us and get yourself out of the stressful unprecedented situation.
