What do you do in the event of a wildlife accident?
What you should do in the event of a wildlife accident is to report it. You do this by calling 112. Bear in mind that this is not something you should consider on your own, but it is actually illegal not to report the accident, as you will learn at our various moment at driving school. Once you have reported the incident, you should:
- Make sure you have marking strips in your car. You can get them from the police and car test stations, for example.
- Post warning triangles and mark the location of the accident.
- Hang the marker strip on the side of the road where the game disappeared.
- Although the game is dead, mark the place where the accident occurred.
Fines for wildlife accidents
If you do not report a wildlife accident, you could be fined. This is because it is classed as a hit-and-run accident if you do not report it. It is therefore a criminal offence to be involved in a wildlife accident and not report it to the police or other authorities. Also bear in mind that although a reindeer is not considered a wild animal, you must report the wildlife accident if it involves reindeer.
Which animals should you avoid?
Depending on the animal, there are different rules about whether or not you should avoid the animal. Whatever the situation, you need to be aware of the dangers of refusing an animal. You risk colliding with oncoming traffic, putting yourself and others at risk.
Then you should not refuse the animal
If the animal is lower than the car's bonnet, do not avoid the animal. Instead, brake to reduce the risk of a collision. Even if you don't have time to stop the car, don't swerve - you are more likely to collide with oncoming traffic or run off the road than to be hit or injured by the animal. These collisions are more dangerous than colliding with the animal.
Then you should refuse
However, you should avoid the animal if it's a moose, deer or other large animal you're about to collide with. However, first and foremost you should try to brake and stop your car. However, if you can't stop the car, steer towards the animal's rear end or avoid the animal.
Which animals do you have to report that you have hit?
There are certain situations when you need to report the wildlife accident. These are if you have collided with a moose or hit a deer. However, you are also obliged to report an accident or collision with the following animals:
- Wild boar
- Varg
- Björn
- Hjort
- Mouflon sheep
- Örn
- Utter
- Järv lo
How many wildlife accidents occur each year?
Can you imagine that every eight minutes there is a wildlife accident in Sweden? By these standards, the number of wildlife accidents per year is more than 62 000. However, this figure can be reduced if every driver learns about the animals' behaviour, their needs and how to adapt your driving to their movements and patterns. The best and most effective way to reduce wildlife accidents is to adapt your speed.
When is the risk of a wildlife accident greatest?
In 2021, there were more than 65,000 wildlife accidents. 77% of these were with deer, 9% with wild boar and 8% with elk. Wildlife accidents tend to occur mainly in autumn and winter. Deer accidents are most common from October to December. In the case of wild boar, September to November is the most accident-prone period, while in the case of elk, September, October and January are the most common months for a wildlife accident.
At Jarla Trafikskola, we will train you with the important skills for your driving licence. Book your personalised driving lessons with us today!
Other articles that may interest you
