Each year, collisions with a moose or deer cause hundreds of thousands of car accidents on the roads of North America and Northern Europe. An accident with these animals, especially moose, is potentially fatal to passengers and causes great damage to your car as well as to the animals. If you want to avoid bumping into a moose or deer, you need to be vigilant and know what to do when you come face to face with these animals. That's how.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Avoiding Collision
Step 1. Follow the road warning signs
Accidents mainly occur in elk and deer habitats such as forest areas and waterways. If you see a road sign warning of wildlife, slow down and be even more careful. Moose and deer cross the roads for many reasons and at various times of the year. Often they just want to reach another area of their territory. The mating and hunting seasons are also the cause of displacements. Watch out.
Step 2. Go at a safe speed
Do not accelerate when traveling on roads that cross deer and moose territories. You will reach your destination even if you go slowly and a reduced speed allows you to have more time to avoid the animal when you spot it. Wildlife experts recommend a maximum speed of 90 km / h when the weather conditions are good as it allows for the correct reaction times. Here are some things that can happen when you travel too fast:
- You can't stop fast enough to avoid the impact.
- The violence of the impact is much higher as the speed increases.
- Your abilities to set an evasive maneuver are greatly reduced and you are much more likely to skid rather than gently brake to a stop.
Step 3. Stay on the defensive
Be prepared for an elusive maneuver which means being able to slow down quickly, brake suddenly and lower the high beams. Drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the space illuminated by the headlights; train in this technique in a safe space if you don't know exactly how your car responds. Make sure you fasten your seat belts and check that all your passengers have done it. A sudden imbalance could catapult people out of the car.
Step 4. Observe the surrounding environment
Check the sides of the road carefully for signs of wildlife. If you have passengers, involve them in this operation, but ask them not to shout as they could scare you and make you react in the wrong way. Tell them to calmly report to you if they see a moose or deer hiding around. Look at the sides and edges of the road, in the ditches (they love the grass that is there), the lines in the middle, at the intersections and on the road itself to identify any movement, twinkle of the eyes or body shapes.
Check both sides of the road; There is evidence that some motorists tend to look more at the side of the road near the passenger than their own, creating the false idea that only that side is a problem. Check both sides
Step 5. Be especially careful at sunset and sunrise
Deer and elk seem more active around sunset until midnight and then again around dawn. Moreover, these are the most difficult hours for your eyes to adapt because it is not completely dark but it still does not shine, so you have more difficulty seeing well. If you don't feel alert enough or can't see well in these moments, postpone the trip to another time.
Keep looking, if you see a deer or moose it is very likely that there are others nearby. If you see one animal, chances are you will run into others
Step 6. Drive carefully at night
Use the high beams where possible and when you do not pass other cars; these lights illuminate a greater area. Here are some precautions to take when traveling in the dark:
- Stay in the middle lane if you are traveling on a three-lane road, or stay as much in the middle as possible if the road is two-lane.
- Make sure your windshield is clean and doesn't reflect dirt that prevents you from seeing clearly.
- Travel below the speed limit which benefits gasoline consumption and not just safety.
- Check the sides of the road for animal eye reflections, which are often visible at great distances. Sometimes the eyes are the only visible part of the animal until you bump into them. Note that moose eyes do not reflect light.
Step 7. Slow down when other cars are behaving abnormally
If you see flashes of light (the four arrows or the high beams), hear the horns, see people fidgeting, slow down and get ready to stop! Obviously, if a car suddenly stops in front of you, you should stop or at least slow down. In these situations, other cars may have stopped because animals are crossing the road in front of you.
Step 8. Stay alert, even as you are approaching the city
You just walked through the outskirts of the city so now you are safe, right? Wrong! Moose and deer enter the city and suburbs in search of food. They might be there ruminating near the centerline or jumping out of someone's garden. Continue to drive carefully. When you come across a deer or moose, don't expect them to react rationally.
A blaring horn, flashing lights and a moving metal car can all scare the animal and it will be more likely to get on a collision course rather than drive away. Large males often load stationary or moving cars of any size
Step 9. Know when not to swerve
If suddenly you find a deer in front of the car, brake firmly. Don't swerve and don't leave your lane; many accidents are due not so much to the collision with the animal as to that with another vehicle arriving in the opposite direction while trying to avoid the deer. The best thing to do first of all is to drive defensively and keep a low enough speed that you don't bump into a moose and be able to brake.
Step 10. Sound the horn to the animal with short blows
Do this only if it is far enough away and there are no other cars nearby that can be misled by the sound. This could scare the animal and make it run away but there is no guarantee that it will work. If you are close to the deer, avoid honking the horn because you could confuse the animal and bring it closer.
Method 2 of 2: What to Do During a Collision
Step 1. Reduce the violence of the impact if you can't avoid it
Here are some tips for doing this:
- Try to go in the direction from which the moose comes. This could distance you because the animal is more likely to continue moving forward rather than going back. Do it only if there is only one moose. This technique doesn't work with deer.
- Move your gaze away, do not look at the animal or you will swerve towards it.
- Try to catch it with a smear instead of a full one. Brake firmly, turn the car and take your foot off the brake as you go to impact. In this way the car will rise a little and discourage the animal from jumping on the hood.
- If you are about to have an accident with a moose, try to bump into the door pillar. It was noted that in accidents with a moose the nose of the cars was completely destroyed while the door pillar triangle remained intact. However, there is no guarantee of safety in this technique, you are far from avoiding a collision.
Step 2. Be careful after an accident with a deer or moose
There are a few steps to follow after making sure no one is injured:
- Pull over if you can. Turn on the four arrows and if you can, point the headlights towards the animal or as close as possible.
- Check that passengers are not injured and if necessary provide first aid. Even if there are no injuries, the shock could come quickly. Try to reassure each other and if it's cold, cover up immediately as the frightening shock increases the inability to protect yourself from the cold. If it's winter, stay in the car.
- Do not go near the animal; it may kick or gore you out of fear or pain. If it blocks the road, use the four arrows and the high beams and leave the car stationary. Try to move the animal only if you are 100% sure it is dead.
- Use flares if you have them or the triangle.
- Call the police immediately or have another driver stop for help. Remember that many insurance companies will not pay damages if you do not have a police report.
Advice
- The best advice is to travel at a constant speed without rapid movement or speed changes and let the deer instinct take care of the situation. Obviously it helps to moderate the speed in the circumstances in which this can occur.
- Use the headlights of other cars to help you spot a deer or moose. Check if you see any shadows moving inside the light cone of the other cars.
- Get a room in a motel or pull over and rest where you are if you think driving around with deer or moose is too dangerous. It is better to arrive late but safe and sound rather than getting injured or dying in the name of punctuality.
- Be even more careful if there is a fire. Deer and other animals move from the fire site and cross the roads that are on their territory. Even if the fire is miles away, beware of fleeing animals.
- See if there is water near the road: streams, swamps and wetlands attract elk and deer. The road is an easy path to reach these waterways, so there is a high possibility that the animals are in the area.
- Think ahead of how you should react if a deer or moose appears in front of you. This mental preparation will help you react better and stay calm
- One deer means more deer. These animals move in herds and if you see one, slow down as there may be more. Moose are less social, so a lone moose does not necessarily imply a herd although there may be other specimens in the area, just as cows are often accompanied by a calf.
- Sometimes deer get stuck in car lights and even if they're not on the road, as you get closer they jump into the middle of the street. In some cases the deer hits the side of the car. This behavior is difficult to manage because slowing down could have the opposite effect increasing the chances of the deer hitting you.
- Another option would be to suddenly accelerate and overtake the animal. It is difficult to choose this solution quickly enough to reach good speed and successfully get out of the situation as it is a completely instinctive reaction. However, in the right circumstances, it may be the best thing to do to avoid a collision.
Warnings
- Moose are dark in color, making them more difficult to spot at night. Always drive with caution if you believe there are any nearby.
- Do not turn on the interior lights. They make reflections on the windshield and reduce visibility by making it more difficult to see an animal.
- Don't honk a moose like you would a deer. The moose is an aggressive animal and could charge you, injuring you and damaging the car while the moose does not get hurt because it uses its horns. Instead, try to overtake it without changing speed.
- The eyes of the moose reflect light like those of the deer. The problem is that the moose is very high and the eyes are often above the headlights, so it is impossible to hit them with the light and see their reflection.
- If you suddenly steer in front of a deer or an elk and hit something like a tree or a guard rail, and you don't have kasko insurance, the damage is your responsibility; if you hit the animal, you can open a dispute with the Municipality, the Region or the owner of the animal. Always check the terms of your policy.
- Deer calls are a gimmick, don't expect them to work.
- Do not drive if you are sleepy or have been drinking alcohol. Being sober is not only a requirement of safe driving but is also essential to avoid collisions with animals.
- It is well known that a moose can kill even a bear in order to protect its cubs. Even if you are not a threat to the young, the deer or the moose may not have the same perception.
- These tips do NOT work with other quadrupeds such as horses and reindeer, they are only valid with elk and deer.
- The fences along the road are not to be considered a safety. Deer and elk can sneak around, override or break through them. Don't rely on them; for your safety drive carefully.
