Time of Year for Increased Collisions with Wildlife
Prince George, B.C.- Each year, there are more than 550 collisions with wildlife on highways 16 and 97, and every year, about three people will die and another 140 will be hurt in these collisions.
Highway 97, between Prince George and the Pine Pass, and Highway 16 from Vanderhoof east to the Alberta border are particularly dangerous when it comes to the presence of wildlife.
Collisions with deer increase in October and November, while collisions with Moose climb between November to January.
“The critical times to watch for wildlife on the roads are between 5:00 to 8:00 am and 5:00 to 7:00 pm.” says Barb Waters, Regional Manager, BC Conservation Foundation although a collision with wildlife can happen at any time as wildlife are unpredictable.
Keep your eyes open for wildlife and know that during the rutting season, vehicles are not what they are thinking about.
Animals don’t think or perceive danger the same way that humans do. They may not recognize a vehicle as dangerous or a horn as a warning, or even if they do, they may not react safely.
Animals are unpredictable in their behaviour and may bolt in front of a vehicle or cross and then immediately re-cross the road.
Deer are often seen in groups, so if there is one animal there are usually more. The deer you are watching may not be the one that poses the threat; it may be the second or third deer following behind that causes the problem.
Comments
Do people actually pay attention when these warnings are given every year?
It always seems that the not too bright, will continue to do their 90 or 100 KpH in 70 or 80 KpH zones, regardless of moose warning signs in especially heavily deer and moose travelled areas.
I think ICBC should be looking closely at the EDR in vehicles involved in animal collisions, as well as lighting and weather conditions. It seems that it is too easy for them to simply write a cheque for the damages.
While it is true that some vehicle/animal collisions are very hard to avoid, there is a very large proportion due to simple negligence.
I see: It is the responsibility of the driver to watch for careless animals, but not pedestrians?
The big difference is a pedestrian knows which way to run when they hear a car horn, deer just go off in some random direction. Man, I don’t get some people. If you find it too dangerous to walk, just drive everywhere. Gas is cheap thanks to Costco!!!
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