Driving Around Wildlife
- Bedford Driver
- Apr 8, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Wildlife
When it comes to driving around animals and wildlife there are a few things we have to consider. Most of all you have to remember that at highway speeds you cannot react suddenly to a hazard that appears out of the blue like a deer running out in front of you. Because at highway speeds you will end up losing control of your car. Every movement you make in a car will become more amplified and exaggerated as your speed increases and that's why you never ever want to do anything sudden with the steering wheel or pedals.
Deer
How To Deal With Deer On The Highway
Two examples of why we shouldn't react suddenly on the highway for wildlife are; a person was driving on Highway 102 last December when they saw a deer. They jammed their brakes on and were rear ended by 6 cars. Another example is from one of my student’s parents who reacted suddenly to a deer then rolled their car to avoid it. The deer didn’t end up crossing their path. Never swerve or brake suddenly at high speeds.
How To Avoid A Wildlife Collision
To avoid accidents involving animals, new drivers should know where and when the majority of wildlife-vehicle collisions occur:
on rural roads
at sunrise or at dusk, this is when animals are more active
spring/summer and in the fall, which is mating season for moose and deer
on long, straight stretches of road with good roadside habitat and water nearby
pay close attention to both sides of the road
keeping an eye out for movement and shining eyes
think about what you would do if an animal darted out in front of you
use your horn or flash your headlights to scare animals off the road
use your high beams to extend line of sight farther ahead
A Driver Almost Hits A Deer On The Highway
Driver Killed After Stopping On The Highway For A Deer
"Pictou County District RCMP, fire and EHS responded to a report of a collision on Hwy. 104 in New Glasgow. Upon arrival at the scene, RCMP officers learned that a Honda CRV was travelling eastbound on the highway when it struck a deer, and was then hit from behind by a transport truck. The driver and lone occupant of the CRV, a 42-year-old woman from New Glasgow, was transported to hospital by ambulance. She was then flown by LifeFlight to Halifax, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The driver and sole occupant of the transport truck, a 61-year-old New Brunswick man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing. Hwy. 104 at Exit 25 was closed for several hours, but has since reopened."
Do Deer Whistles Work?
"In Utah, researchers Laura Romin and Larry Dalton detected no differences in responses from 150 groups of free-ranging mule deer to vehicles equipped with and without deer whistles. Although some deer ran away from the test vehicle, they did so regardless of the presence or absence of whistles. A recent review of deer whistle effectiveness by University of Georgia researchers, led by Sharon Valitzki, came to similar negative conclusions: Previous research on vehicle-mounted auditory deterrents was confounded by use of commercially produced devices lacking proper function and sufficient sound intensity to be audible to deer in roadway conditions. Apparently, some commercially available deer whistles do not produce sound of ultrasonic frequency, as claimed. In fact, some emit no sound at all under normal operating conditions."
An Example Of Why You Should Never React Suddenly For Wildlife
One time while I was riding my motorcycle in the early morning on the highway, I had an encounter with a deer that I will never forget. I was excited to be on my bike and was looking farther ahead when a deer began crossing in front of me. There was no time to react and I thought for sure in that split second that I going to hit it. For some reason the deer waited for me to pass by it before continuing to cross through my lane. If I had reacted suddenly to this hazard I could have crashed.
Moose
Avoid moose at all costs
Moose are a whole different animal to deal with compared to deer. They're larger (weighing 1000 lbs) and more powerful. Avoid moose at all costs. They can flip your car over with no effort at all. Unlike deer, when it comes to moose you will do whatever you have to do in order to avoid hitting one.
Crazy moose challenging a train - Moose do not back down from anything
Moose encounter – Alberta Canada
Some trucks are equipped with push bars to protect the driver from moose on the highway.
