It’s safe to say that one of the biggest fears that many people have when driving is the possibility of hitting an Animal. Whether Wild or Pet it can be an extremely upsetting experience for everyone involved, even causing some people to completely give up driving due to the trauma.
That’s before we even mention the heartbreaking moment for any pet owner who finds out their beloved cat or dog has been injured in an accident.
As Summer rolls away and Autumn creeps in, the risks of this happening increase, as days get shorter, and many more people find themselves having to drive in the dark, reducing visibility and reducing the chances of seeing anything that may be about to run out in front of the vehicle.
This is a scenario we would all like to see less of, and whilst unfortunately there will never be a way to completely remove all chance of hitting an animal, there are certain steps drivers can follow to ensure that the risk is cut to a minimum.
See below for our top 10 ways to avoid hitting an animal whilst driving.
- Keep Your Car Well Maintained, Especially Brakes – This is obviously a given for any car that is out on the roads, but keeping your vehicle in top condition is key to avoiding hitting something. Animals can run out in front of cars very suddenly, so keeping your 4×4 brakes sharp can be the difference between stopping in time or colliding with a fox, cat or dog.
- Do NOT swerve – If something runs out in front of you, it may be instinct to swerve around it, but in many cases this can end up causing more damage to yourself or others. Additionally, many animals may try to run out of the way of your vehicle, and by swerving you could potentially swerve into them and still hit them.
- Dip Headlights Toward The Road – When driving in areas with poor lighting, dipping your headlights slightly towards the road can make it much easier to spot animals in the road. It is extremely important that you ensure that the headlights are still at a good level to light the road and make you visible to other vehicles, but by dipping your headlight beam slightly towards the road you are likely to catch the eyes of an animal nearby. Their eyes will reflect this light at you, making it easier for you to spot and avoid them.
- Expect Families – Particularly in the wild, many animals are likely to be travelling in a family group. This means that if you’ve seen one animal near to the road, the odds are there may well be others nearby – often young. Even if you’ve safely passed one animal, you should be on your highest alert for the next few minutes as more could be very close by.
- Know The Area You’re Driving Through – Knowledge of the area you’re driving through is key to avoiding collisions with animals. If you’re driving around your local area and you know that neighbours have cats & dogs, always be wary and travel at low speeds. If driving further afield through rural areas, research the local wildlife beforehand, and always take note of any signs indicating there may be deer or other local wildlife nearby.
- Never Throw Litter Out Of The Car – This is a practice which should be discouraged anyway as throwing litter out of car windows is needless and ruins the local area. Additionally to that though, discarded food packaging thrown from cars can attract animals toward the road, putting them at a much higher risk of being hit. Always keep any rubbish in your car until you can dispose of it in a proper rubbish bin.
- Beware Of Streets With Parked Cars – Parked cars themselves may not be a particular hazard to you as you’re driving down the road, but they can significantly reduce your view of other hazards until it’s too late. Cats, Dogs, and anything else for that matter can run out from behind parked cars giving you only a second’s notice to avoid collision. Always lower your speed when in this situation, and be on alert for anything appearing from behind parked vehicles or other obstructions such as rubbish skips
- Check In and Around Your Car Before You Set Off – Parked cars provide perfect shelter and a good hiding place for a range of different animals. Cats in particular love to sit beneath a car, sheltering from the rain, the sun, or just keeping out of the way, and other creatures such as Dogs or Foxes may also seek refuge under a vehicle. This is fine when the car is stationary, but things can get very dangerous when the car engine starts and it sets off. Most animals will flee at the sound of the engine starting up, but there is still a risk that some may end up caught by the moving tyres. To avoid this situation, wait a few moments after starting your engine to give anything that may be under there to get out of the way, and if animals commonly roam around the area, check under the car before you even get inside.
- Be Especially Aware At Dawn & Dusk – These times of day see a heightened risk of hitting animals for more than one reason. Not only is visibility lowered, but lots of animals such as cats or foxes like to roam and hunt during the darker hours, and therefore there may be more of them walking near to roads. Always be aware of this, pay extra attention, lower your speed, and look out for reflective eyes or sudden movements.
- Beware Of Icy Roads (And Not Just For The Reason You Think) – Driving on icy roads is dangerous as it leaves you prone to skids and vastly increases stopping distances. This on it’s own significantly increases the risk of hitting an animal, but there’s even more to it than that. Road salt which is often spread to melt ice can attract wild animals who want to lick the salt up, so be especially careful when it’s icy. Not only will stopping distances be increased but more animals may be lingering around the roads
Of course, unfortunately, despite all precautions and best efforts, sometimes collisions just cannot be avoided. See below for information on what to do should you find yourself in this situation.
What To Do If You Hit A Pet
- Safely stop your car and approach the injured pet when it is clear to do so
- Carefully check the pet for any sort of I.D tags, and contact the owners if the information is there.
- Call the nearest emergency vet or PDSA centre, explain the situation and let them know you’re bringing the pet in.
- Gently move the pet into your vehicle – we recommend wrapping them in a blanket or wearing gloves as injured animals may be aggressive, especially to unfamiliar faces
- Take the pet to the nearest emergency Vet or PDSA centre for treatment, and wait for the owner to arrive.
You must ALWAYS stop if you hit a Cat or Dog, and it is actually against the law to drive away after a collision with a Dog. The Police must be informed at some point, even if there is no blame to be attributed, either yourself, the vet or the pet’s owner will have to inform the authorities of the accident and you may have to provide a statement.
What To Do If You Hit A Wild Animal
- Safely stop the car, and observe the animal from a distance – do not approach an injured wild animal as they may be aggressive.
- Regardless of whether the animal is alive or dead, if it is a horse, cow, pig, goat, sheep or donkey then the police must be informed as quickly as possible.
- Most animals will run away if injured, but if the animal is clearly still alive yet not moving from the spot, then call a local emergency vet, PDSA or the RSPCA and ask for advice on what to do next.
- If the animal is not any of those listed above (eg: a fox or badger) and is clearly killed, then call your local council so that they can come and safely remove the carcass.
- Always check your vehicle for damage before moving on, some wild animal collisions can cause significant damage to cars.
See here for Government guidelines on reporting dead animals – https://www.gov.uk/report-dead-animal
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