Most of us have, at one time or another, seen evidence of some poor critter's terminal encounter with road traffic. Prematurely deceased hedgehogs, pigeons, squirrels, cats and the like are a depressingly familiar sight. In some areas, the list can also include foxes, badgers and even deer. It seems that an entire Attenborough documentary series worth of wild and domestic species meet an abrupt end beneath our vehicles annually.
Just in case the evidence of our own eyes isn't sufficient, World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day seeks to focus our attention on the issue of accidents involving animals. Those of us with cats and dogs tend to be acutely aware of the dangers already - often due to tragic experience - but the issue is relevant to all road users.
World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day, promoted by Catsmatter.org, takes place every 10th October. The event is now in its sixth year.
Self-preservation
In a self-proclaimed nation of animal lovers, there are a surprising number of people who dislike dogs, cats or some other species. This can be down to allergy, phobia or trauma due to a negative past experience; in other cases, the person may just be a miserable so-and-so. Whatever the reason, some people might not be too distressed when they drive past the sorry remnants of a fox at the side of the A30. However, they would probably be a little put out if an unexpected roe deer wrote off their Audi.
Animal accidents aren't just a hazard to animals. They can also be expensive, inconvenient, traumatic and messy for humans. Evidence submitted to the Transport Committee of the House of Commons indicated that around 20 people a year die, and many hundreds are injured, in collisions with deer alone.
Whether or not we are animal lovers, it makes sense to avoid driving into them.
Animals commonly involved in accidents
Cats and dogs
A particular hazard in urban and suburban areas. Cats in particular, due to their independent nature and tendency to roam outdoors, are frequently encountered near roads. They often appear suddenly and run across roads.
Advice:
- The more slowly you drive, the more time you have to brake.
- Be aware of animals on pavements and be alert to the possibility of them veering or running into the road. Even a dog on a lead can step onto the road.
- If you run over a pet, contact the owner if details are available. If not, contact RSPCA as they may be able to check whether the animal is chipped. Don't just abandon an injured or deceased animal.
Horses and ponies
In 2023, there were 3,383 incidents involving horses. Those incidents resulted in the deaths of three people and 66 horses. Another 94 people and 86 horses were injured. 85% of those incidents were attributed to drivers passing too close and/or too fast.
In the New Forest, 27 ponies died in accidents in 2023.
The Highway Code Rule 215 says:
Always pass wide and slowly. When you see a horse on a road, you should slow down to a maximum of 10 mph. Be patient, do not sound your horn or rev your engine. When safe to do so, pass wide and slow, allowing at least 2 metres of space.
Many drivers seem to be unaware that not only are horses permitted by law to be on the roads, but as vulnerable road users they also have priority over cars.
Advice:
- Keep your speed down on rural roads, especially when approaching corners.
- Slow down in plenty of time when approaching horses and don't get too close.
- If you are behind horses, riders will know you're there. They will usually move over as soon as they can safely do so (when they reach a lay-by or a field entrance, for example), so be patient.
- Don't rev the engine, sound the horn or flash your lights.
- The riders can see what's ahead better than you, so take note of any hand signals they may give warning of oncoming cars, or indicating that it seems safe to pass, but do not rely solely on someone else's signal if you can't see the road ahead yourself.
- Pass slowly (10 mph max) and wide (2m min).
Deer
There are currently around two million deer in the UK, most of them roaming wild. The most common, the roe deer, is easily substantial enough, at up to 25kg, to cause serious damage to a car and/or its occupants if a collision occurs at speed. Although somewhat less common, the fallow deer weighs in at up to 90kg. These are just two of the six species that live in the UK.
Up to 74,000 deer are killed or injured annually on UK roads, and more than 400 car occupants injured or, occasionally, killed.
As deer are wild animals, it is highly unlikely that anyone injured in a collision with one would be able to make a compensation claim against any third party.
Advice
- Keep your speed down on rural roads, especially when approaching corners.
- Be particularly cautious on rural roads with hedges. Deer will often emerge very suddenly to cross roads, and they will often be in herds rather than solitary, so you may have to wait for 20 deer to cross, not just one. Deer may literally leap out of concealment. Where the ground to the sides of the road is higher, deer may even land on your car as they jump.
- Be aware that deer can be active both day and night. Be particularly careful in the dark.
- Smaller species such as muntjac and water deer can be harder to spot. They don't tend to herd, so if you see one or two, you've probably seen the extent of the hazard.
Foxes and badgers
Sadly, our largest native, mostly nocturnal, predators are most often seen as roadkill.
Like cats, dogs and deer, foxes can emerge suddenly in front of vehicles leaving little time to stop. While badgers may also do this, they are slower moving and may appear a little less abruptly. Badgers may also be encountered on rural roads running (well, kind of comically waddling, really) along the road in one's headlights. Foxes are usually solitary while badgers may be seen individually or in pairs, so be alert for more than one badger, just in case.
Advice:
- Keep your speed down on rural roads, especially when approaching corners and especially at night.
- Be alert in case of more than one animal.
Rabbits, squirrels and hedgehogs
The UK's population of wild rabbits is estimated at around 36 million. In contrast, we only have around an estimated one million hedgehogs, of which about 25% live in urban areas. The unfortunate, slow-moving hedgehog is a particularly frequent accident casualty. Some estimates put the number killed on our roads annually at more than 300,000. It is difficult to confidently quote statistics regarding hedgehogs as sources vary widely.
As for squirrels, we have about 2.5 million greys and 140,000 of the once-common red variety. The grey squirrel is yet another creature that makes frequent and sudden road crossings in both urban and rural areas; for this reason, it is another high-volume casualty of road accidents.
Advice
- Small animals are hard to spot and unpredictable in their movements, so all one can really do is to limit speed and try to be vigilant.
Birds
Pigeons, crows, ducks, geese, pheasants and gulls are amongst those commonly run over. Some are at risk as they descend to scavenge the remains of earlier accident victims while others, such as ducks, geese and chickens, are vulnerable as they wander around near ponds and farmyards.
Pheasants may be a hazard on country roads. Not only do they actually seem to like standing on asphalt, they frequently don't have the sense to make even a token effort to evade traffic. In fact, the pheasant seems almost to aspire to the status of roadkill.
Advice:
- Don't drive too fast.
- Be careful on corners and driving near ponds and farmyards.
- Remember that the pheasant's ambition in life is to get run over.
Livestock
In rural areas, it is still common for animals to be herded from one field to another by road. Luckily, flocks of sheep and herds of cows are relatively easy to see and hear, so they tend to be encountered less abruptly than some of the other species we've mentioned. They are also supervised (so far as one can effectively supervise a large number of animals) by farm workers. Nevertheless, it is still quite possible to encounter livestock on the road, so again, moderate speed and vigilance are key.
There will often be road signs to warn you in areas where animals are likely to be encountered on the road. It should go without saying that these signs are a strong indication that reduced speed and increased vigilance would be a great idea.
What to do if you hit an animal with your vehicle
- Stop your car in a safe place and turn on your hazard warning lights.
- Be careful of approaching traffic.
- If the animal is obstructing the road, alert other divers to the hazard.
- Observe the animal from a distance to see if it appears injured.
- If the animal appears to be injured, inform the relevant animal welfare organisation:
- RSPCA (England and Wales) on 0300 1234 999
- Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scotland) on 03000 999 999
- Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Northern Ireland) on 028 3025 1000
- If the animal is on the following list, then the law says you must inform the police:
- dogs
- horses
- cattle
- pigs
- goats
- sheep
- donkeys and mules
- Check your car to make sure it is still safe to drive after the impact. Get it checked over by a mechanic as soon as possible.
Keep yourself and animals safe by driving carefully.
