Caution: Animals Crossing

If you drive a car, the chances are increasing that sooner or later you will have a collision with an animal. Check the facts:

• There are more whitetail deer -- the most common big-game species -- in the United States today than there were when Columbus discovered America
• There also are a record number of cars on the road today
• The habitat for wildlife has shrunk to its smallest size ever.

Not surprisingly, collisions with animals have risen dramatically. The National Safety Council reported 820,000 animal-related accidents in 2002, up from 520,000 in 2001. And those collisions are costly. They resulted in more than 100 deaths and 13,000 injuries, and cause an average of $2,000 damage to each vehicle involved.

Many animal-auto collisions simply cannot be avoided; fast-moving animals have been known to run smack into the side of a moving car.  But the chances of a collision can be reduced if drivers take safety precautions, especially in places and hours when risk is especially high.

Defensive Driving Tips

• Scan the road as you drive, watching the edges where animals often approach. This helps you to avoid harming or killing wildlife, and make you more aware of other hazards such as bicyclists, children at play, and slow-moving vehicles.
• Be extra careful in early morning and evening hours; these are the most active times for animals. Keep a particularly close watch for deer during their mating season (November and December).
• Pay close attention to animal crossing signs; they're probably there because of previous animal-vehicle encounters.
• Once you have spotted an animal, look for others. Most animals travel in groups.
• If you see deer or other animals ahead, stay in your lane and decelerate carefully. Assume that animals do not know to get out of your way. Young animals, in particular, do not recognize cars as a threat.
• Don' t rely on gadgets for your vehicle such as deer whistles. They're not always reliable.
• If you think you are going to hit a large animal, it's usually better to brake than to swerve. Swerving can confuse the animal as to which way to run and may result in a worse collision with another vehicles, a tree or other obstacle.
• Never throw litter from your car, especially food. It attracts wildlife to roadsides -- often with fatal results.
• As always, obey the posted speed limit and wear your seat belt.

If your vehicle strikes an animal, do not touch it. The frightened animal, in attempting to move, could hurt you or itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.