Public Safety: Oh Deer, Oh Moose, Oh My!

November is a month of increased deer and moose activity on our highways. Most collisions occur during this period of the year, during the hours of dusk and dawn.

Canada Safety Council recommends the following preventive measures to avoid hitting wildlife:

1. Heed warning signs. Stay alert when you are in moose and/or deer territory.
2. Drive at a safe speed with plenty of room between you and the driver ahead. A safe speed will give you a chance to use evasive action.
3. Actively scan the sides of the roads. Remember, one deer means more deer. At night, seek the reflective eyes of deer, often visible at a great distance. The eyes of moose do not reflect light like those of a deer, making them especially hard to spot at night.
4. Invest a few dollars in a deer whistle which produces a sonic wave that may alert deer from 150 to 200 metres away. There has been a lot of discussion about whether the whistles work or don't work, so do not adopt a false sense of security.

If you are about to collide with a deer, never attempt to dodge it by swerving your vehicle; many injuries and damage are caused by driving into another vehicle. Slow down, honk your horn, flash your headlights and try to scare the deer off. Tap your brakes to alert drivers behind you. If you must hit the deer, let off the brake at impact in order to lift your vehicle slightly at the last minute and have the deer go under the car rather than up into your windshield.

If you are about to collide with a moose, duck inside the car as much as possible. Due to the height and shape of moose, they are more than likely going to come through the windshield and they tend to crush the car roof. You are far better off avoiding any collision with moose and should aim your vehicle in the direction the moose came from. This gives a chance of avoiding the animal if it continues to move forward. Then you may simply graze the moose with your vehicle, rather than have full impact.

In all cases of colliding with wildlife, the best advice is to drive defensively and proceed slowly enough to observe the hazards and brake in time.

Source: Canada Safety Council