Animals on the roads!

Collisions between vehicles and wild animals on roads are, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence. For the animals, these encounters are typically fatal, and accidents involving large ungulates (moose, deer, wild boar, roe deer) can have serious consequences for both the vehicles and their drivers and passengers.

Animals venture onto roads for various reasons: most commonly, they are moving to feeding grounds and back to resting areas; some are attracted by the salt mixture spread by road services; many wild birds gather small pebbles on the roads, which are necessary for digestion; sometimes wild animals come onto the asphalt simply to warm up and dry off from dew (hares, foxes), as the asphalt temperature is usually higher than the air temperature; often, wild animals run onto roads when being pursued by predators or hunting dogs.

In most cases, collisions can be avoided. If a wild animal appears in the path of a vehicle or on the roadside, it is necessary to reduce speed as much as possible to a level that allows for an immediate stop.

Typically, a wild animal perceives a moving vehicle as a predator attempting to block its escape routes, which is why it darts across the road at the last moment to "break out of the encirclement." However, animals are unable to accurately assess a vehicle's speed, and as a result, a collision can occur at full speed.

An animal caught in headlights at night is blinded; it perceives the darkness outside the beam of light as a wall and begins to panic, seeing nothing but the illuminated section of the road and the glaring headlights. In such a situation, you should stop, turn off the headlights (but leave the parking lights on), and activate the hazard warning lights, thereby giving the animal time to adapt to the darkness and leave the road.

Adherence to traffic rules, including speed limits, and particular caution in areas with the "Wild Animals" warning sign will significantly reduce the risk of accidents related to the sudden appearance of animals on roadways.