Wild animals on the roads: the safety of travel is also determined by the actions of the drivers

In autumn, due to the increased migration of animals, when estrus begins, the behavior of animals changes: they become less shy, lose caution. At this time, animals appear on the roads in unpredictable places, so drivers should be more careful and vigilant when driving on the road that passes through not only the forest, but also the meadow. To avoid a collision with an animal, drivers should not lose vigilance when driving in conditions of poor visibility or in the dark, choose a safe speed, that is, less than the maximum permissible speed, because it may be difficult to spot a wild animal, and if it suddenly jumps onto the road, it is possible to stop the car in time, which would be impossible if the speed is high.

Wild animals on the roads: the safety of travel is also determined by the actions of the drivers

In any case, drivers must concentrate on the road while driving, avoid extraneous activities, observe the environment and when they see the warning road sign No. 131 “Wild animals”, know that you are entering a stretch of road where there is a greater possibility of encountering a wild animal, and pay even more attention on those stretches. If you see a wild animal on or near the road, you should reduce your speed even more and avoid approaching the animal. When trying to scare the animal, you should not scare it by signaling it with short or long lights (so the behavior of the blinded animal becomes completely unpredictable) or by pressing the buzzer fully, because this can only scare the animal.

It is recommended to press the buzzer in bursts.

If you need to stop the car, you need to press the brake pedal hard, but you need not to lose the grip of the wheels on the road surface. When it is too late to brake, you should try to go around the animal standing on the road, but not from the side towards which its head is facing. When bypassing the animal, it is necessary to observe oncoming traffic to avoid a collision with an oncoming car – such a collision can also be very dangerous. You can find the reminder for the driver on the website of the Lithuanian Automobile Road Directorate.

There are situations when a collision with an animal cannot be avoided, so the driver must take all possible measures to remove the obstacle from the road and ensure the safety of others. The driver must first activate the car’s emergency lights alarm, wear a brightly colored jacket with reflective elements and only get out of the vehicle after making sure it is safe. It is also necessary to adequately warn other road users about the obstacle on the road and place an emergency stop sign – in settlements, the sign should be placed no less than 25 meters from the stopped car, and in non-residential areas – no less than 50 meters.

After reporting the accident, the driver is advised to return to the car and wait for help, one should not try to drag the animal to the side of the road. If the animal is alive, the driver should avoid approaching it: the animal could get scared and start running, which could pose a danger to other road users and to the driver himself. In autumn, when the days are noticeably shorter and the dark hours are longer, when traffic conditions change almost every day, all road users must pay special attention and take additional safety measures: pedestrians – carry reflectors with them in a place visible to other road users, a lighted lamp or wear a vest with reflective strips, before setting off, drivers – assess the traffic conditions and choose a safe speed, check whether the vehicle is in good condition.

Not only weather and traffic conditions depend on the safety of travel. Travel safety is determined by the actions and attention of the road user. Every year on Lithuanian roads there are road accidents in which people are injured, killed or injured when a car collides with an animal. According to data from the Lithuanian traffic police, during the 9 months of this year, 29 such road accidents were recorded on the roads of Lithuania, of which as many as 21 road accidents occurred during the dark hours of the day. In 2020, 17 such accidents were recorded, of which 8 road accidents occurred in the dark.