Drivers: Watch out for wildlife

Seeing an animal dart out on the road while you’re driving can be alarming. On one hand, you don’t want to hit it, but you also don’t want to cause a crash trying to avoid it. Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation organization, has tips to help you avoid wildlife when driving:
Stay alert. You’re more likely to encounter wildlife near wooded, wetland or agricultural areas. Pay attention to animal-crossing signs, and know that some animals, such as deer, travel in groups.
Slow down. Increase your following distance, and don’t speed. “When traveling at a higher rate of speed, your ability to take evasive action is greatly reduced,” the organization says.
Limit nighttime driving. A driver’s visibility is lowest during dusk and dawn, when wildlife movement is greatest.
Be especially careful if driving a motorcycle. Defenders of Wildlife notes that “while only 2% of deer-car collisions result in human fatalities, 85% of deer-motorcycle collisions involve human fatalities.”

If you encounter wildlife on the road, brake firmly, but be careful not to lock your brakes. Don’t swerve and leave your lane to avoid hitting an animal – you may miss the animal but hit another vehicle or fixed object.