Avoiding Wildlife on The Road Can Be Tricky

While wildlife crossing the road in the city can give you a jolt, encountering wildlife on the road in the mountains is even more jarring. It can be tricky to know the right way to handle the situation when a deer or other animal wanders into the road ahead of you – and in the mountains, that road could be winding with little or no visibility. Reacting correctly will make a huge difference in the aftermath. So what should you do?

Pay Attention to Signs

Areas where wildlife are more likely to cross the road are often marked with signs. If you pass a sign telling you to look out for wildlife, pay extra attention. Drive defensively so that you’re prepared to stop if necessary. Especially in the mountains and rural areas, wildlife can cause real damage to your vehicle, along with potentially causing a crash or injury to you and your passengers.

Look Ahead

You should always look ahead, but if you’re driving through an area where you may encounter an animal crossing the road, pay extra attention to the shoulders of the road ahead of you, along with any other open areas around the road. If you’re driving through a wooded area, you won’t have much warning if an animal steps out onto the road from behind a tree, but if there’s an open median or grassy areas lining the road, keep on the lookout for movement.

Turn on Your High-Beam Headlights

When driving at night, turning on your high beams can make it easier to see an animal approaching the road. If there’s an oncoming car, turn them off, since they can make it difficult for the oncoming car to see the road in front of them. But generally, this can help give you more time to react to wildlife crossing the road and raise your chances of safely stopping with no harm done – either to the animal or your car.

Use Your Horn

Try honking your horn if you see an animal in the road ahead. With deer and other smaller animals, this may succeed at scaring them off, though it’s less likely to be helpful with animals such as moose. Also keep in mind that many animals travel in pairs or groups, so by honking you reduce the chance that more will follow across the road.

Pay Extra Attention During Certain Times of the Day and Year

Understand times of day when wildlife tends to be more active. For many animals, this means dawn and dusk, away from the heat of the day and before the roads become busier. During the night, animals also will become more active and visibility is also at its worst.

Another aspect is the time of year. Running into wildlife on the road can be more likely during certain seasons. Be aware that even though there are certain times of the day and year when these collisions are more likely doesn’t mean they cannot happen at any time.