**** Info via WATCH FOR WILDLIFE.
Tips for Preventing Wildlife Vehicle Collisions via Watch for Wildlife
- Watch your speed – Collisions with wildlife can be sometimes be avoided if you have time to slow up and avoid a collision, especially on rural roads.
- Scan Ahead – Scanning ahead for animals helps you to see them before they are in your path. Watch especially for the light of their eyes reflecting your lights at night and use your high beam headlights as often as possible. Note: the eyes of Moose don’t reflect well.
- Honk Your Horn – A few short horn blasts helps to alert animals to get out of the way instead of freezing in place by instinct (turtles, snakes and birds, not so much).
- Brake to Slow down (Don’t swerve!) – If an animal is on the road, brake gently to slow down, but don’t swerve or stop suddenly. It is important that your reaction to avoid wildlife doesn’t endanger yourself or other drivers.
- Proceed Carefully – If you see an animal on or near the road, slow up slightly to see what they are going to do – they can be unpredictable – and look around for others. Animals often travel together and young animals follow their mothers. Scan around without stopping to see if there are others and then proceed cautiously.
- Don’t Litter! – Throwing garbage and food out vehicle windows attracts animals onto the road. It may seem innocent and harmless enough to throw an apple core or banana peel out the window because they are biodegradable, but wildlife and birds will be attracted to food on the road, which often means they will be injured or killed. Garbage will also attract them. Adopt-a-Highway is working with us to share the importance of not littering to prevent wildlife collisions, and volunteering with them to help clean up roads in your area can help. More info here: http://www.adoptahighwayns.ca
