The old, over-used joke says that chickens cross the road to get to the other side, but the saddening fact is that many animals won't make it across the road in one piece. There are times that other animals, from small ground squirrels to large elk, will cross the road right when a car is speeding along. The results can be damaging; swerving cars may collide into each other, or the vehicle may strike the animal. It's always important to be aware of jaywalking mammals when driving, in order to avoid accidents, damages, and fatalities.
This past January, two children from Nebraska were killed when their father swerved their minivan to avoid hitting a deer. Unfortunately, the deer panicked and ran towards the car. A driver behind the minivan collided into the car as well, and sent it rolling into a ditch. This tragic incident is just one of the many times that an animal has created a serious accident. Sources say that only 2 percent of all deer-car collisions result in human fatalities, but plenty if the crashes cause injury and damages.
According to the Defenders of Wildlife, there are 725,000 to 1.5 million wildlife vehicle collisions in the United States each year, and over 200 humans die from the collisions. When measuring the data from 2000-2006, researchers discovered that 2,307 people perished in a wildlife-related accident. Almost 29,000 people are injured from a crash like this every year, and Americans spend over 1 billion dollars per year in property and auto damages from these accidents. While animal crossing accidents are a problem in every state, wilderness states tend to be more dangerous.
In Michigan, a deer-car collision occurs about every eight minutes. In New York, drivers hit and kill about 75,000 deer each year. In Colorado, 6 percent of all accidents state-wide are some sort of wildlife-car collision. In more mountainous areas, up to 25 percent of all car accidents may be the result of a wildlife crash. Most deer crashes happen between October and December. With faster cars and more distractions, the amount of animal-car collisions is rising. Now that many vehicles can make hairpin turns at break-neck speed, drivers do not slow when they enter mountainous, wildlife areas. In recent years, the statistic for fatal animal-car collisions rose 67 percent.
Motorcyclists are in even graver danger when it comes to a wild-life collision. Because of the lighter weight and force of a motorcycle, a collision with a large animal, such as a deer, is often fatal. 85 percent of motorcyclists in this type of accident will not survive. According to a study by Defenders for Wildlife, youth 15 through 24 are more likely to be involved in a car-animal accident than any other group of people. This is because this age group practices distracted driving. A student on a cell phone or a teen tampering with the stereo may fail to see an animal in the road until it is too late. Oftentimes deer and other animals skirt into the road quickly, and don't give the driver much reaction time.
About half of all wildlife-related car crashes happen because the driver swerved in order to avoid the animal. Many times motorists will jerk the wheel, without thinking about cars in the next lane over or a driver trailing behind. These quick, impulsive swerves sometimes cause cars to flip or roll, and many times the driver still hits the animal he or she set out to avoid. The best way to avoid an animal crossing collision is to stay aware. If you see an animal enter into the road path, think about the situation carefully. If possible, slow to a stop and allow the animal to cross the street in safety. You will need to calculate your distance from the animal and whether or not there are cars behind you before choosing how to do this. By being a careful and aware driver, you will be able to avoid animal accidents and save both yourself and the wildlife crossing the road.