British Columbia is known for its wildlife, and ensuring safety on the road can protect you and others around you.
About 11,000 wildlife-related collisions happen every year, according to the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program (WCPP), with almost 900 people injured in 2020. On average, four people are killed annually and 6,100 animals are recorded as killed. Over 18,000 annual animal deaths end up going unrecorded.
The WCPP noted 80 per cent of reported animal collisions are from deer, with the remaining 20 per cent from animals such as moose, caribou, elk, sheep, bears and other smaller animals.
Here are steps you can take to make sure you’re protected while driving, according to the WCPP.
Obey signs
The Wildlife Warning Signs are yellow diamond-shaped signs indicating drivers to be cautious in high wildlife areas. If there is a speed limit sign posted as well, slow down.
Speed is one of the most common factors in vehicle collisions, and studies show that wildlife collisions can often occur on clear nights with dry road conditions on long, straight stretches. Drives tend not to be as prepared in these seemingly pristine conditions and speed up, increasing the chance of a collision with wildlife or other factors.
Pay attention to location
Wildlife collisions commonly occur where creeks or drainages intersect with roads, water sources are nearby, forage is near or along the road and on long, vast, straight stretches of road.
Again, just because the road conditions appear to be good with open and clear roads, speeding up reduces your reaction time to slow down if an animal appears on the road.
Time of day and year
Dawn and dusk are high wildlife activity times, increasing vehicle collisions. Spring is the highest-risk time, although animal collisions happen year-round.
Deer collisions happen most frequently in May and November.
Moose between October and March and most commonly in December/January, June/July, and during high snowfall along the highways that are actively cleared of snow.
Elk collisions are similar to moose, with peak collisions between December and February and again in May.
Bears in August, September and October.
Sheep between November and February, as well as April and June.
Defensive driving
Pay attention to any movement on or near the road, including animals’ shining eyes (which your headlights will reflect off of).
Watch for flickering headlights from oncoming cars or tail lights in front of you, which may indicate an animal nearby.
Pay attention to both sides of the road. People tend to pay more attention to the right side of the road where their lights shine brightest. Therefore, people avoid animals approaching from the right more successfully.
Swerving
Always ask yourself if it is safe to swerve. Swerving can cause you to lose control of your vehicle or head into oncoming traffic or the ditch. Reducing your speed will help you avoid swerving.
For deer, consider using your brakes over your steering wheel.
For a moose, consider swerving, as moose cause higher risks of injury and death to those in the car. If you cannot avoid a moose, crouch as low as possible, as the moose’s body may crush the car’s roof, levelling it flat.
When a crash is inevitable
Sometimes, a crash is inevitable. If you are not able to avoid the animal, aim for where the animal is coming from, not where they are going.
Look toward where you want to go and not at the animal. You are more likely to drive toward where you are looking.
If unable to avoid hitting the animal, try and hit them at an angle rather than head-on.
Brake fast and hard, then look and steer to strike the animal at an angle.
Let up on the brake right before you hit the animal, as this will cause your front end to rise slightly, reducing the chances of the animal coming through your windshield.
After a collision
Pull off the road and turn on your hazard lights, illuminating the animal with your headlights if possible.
Warn other drivers of a carcass on the road causing a hazard.
If the animal is injured, do not approach it. Instead, call the Conservation Officer Service in BC at 1-877-952-7277.
Only remove the dead animal if it is safe and you are physically able to. Report the animal to highway maintenance.
If you or anyone else is injured, or you need assistance removing an animal causing a safety issue, call the RCMP.
As always, drive safe.
@kimakimberlin
kim.kimberlin@blackpress.ca
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