Drivers should remain vigilant among forest thickets and near fields, especially during times of less daylight, such as before sunrise and after sunset, when wild animals are naturally more active. The rutting season for large ungulates (elk and red deer in September–October, wild boar in December–January) and the upcoming driven hunting season also increase animal activity.
‘This more active period means an increase in occurrences of wild animals ending up on the roads more often than usual, thereby increasing the risk of collisions between cars and wild animals. Therefore, it is important that we as road users are especially cautious and notice wild animals approaching the road. It is also worth remembering that if one wild animal crosses the road, others may follow,’ said Villu Lükk, Head of the Environmental Management Unit of the Transport Administration. ‘Wild animals often have their own specific walking paths and many of them also cross roads, which is why it is important to follow warning signs and reduce speed if necessary.’
‘In dusk and darkness, it is important to observe the edges of the roads in the beam of your headlights. If you notice a wild animal, reduce your speed and turn on your hazard lights to safely pass or stop if necessary. While driving, focus only on the road and its edges and avoid other activities. If the animal is already on the road, do not use the horn – the animal may get scared and turn back the way it came,’ said Urmas Salmu, Manager of the Estonian Hunters Society’s project ‘Wild Animals on the Road’. ‘In addition, it is worth considering that the eyes of herbivores are located on the sides, as is the case with, for example, elk, roe deer, deer, and wild boars. Therefore, they see the headlights of cars with only one eye and do not perceive spatiality. They are also unable to assess how fast the light is approaching them or how the great the distance that separates them from the vehicle is.’
Road users on Estonian roads are warned of sections of roads that are more likely to be used by wild animals with so-called elk signs, which must be followed and the areas of influence of which must be taken into account when driving. These signs are installed in places where there have been road accidents involving wild animals in the past or where they have been noticed to frequent the road more often. Often, the installation of such signs is proposed by the hunting associations in the area, who are responsible for removing injured and dead large wild animals from the road, which is why they know the problem areas well.
In addition, crossings for wild animals have been created in many places across Estonia on fenced road sections, equipped with markings of warning. On the four-lane Kose-Võõbu road section, an electronic large wild animal detection system warns road users of them. Animals can cross the road at three level crossings, and their approach is registered by special sensors. These transmit information to the traffic signs with variable information, which begin to flash and reduce the permitted speed to 70 km/h.
In addition, last week, the Transport Administration launched warnings on information boards for when it is dark, with changing information in areas where wild animals are known to cross the road.
The wild animal accident map app can be found HERE.
The instructions ‘Wild animals on the road – what to do?’ can be found HERE.
The map layer where hunters have marked large wild animals that died on the roads last year can be found HERE. The map provides an overview of the road sections where the most accidents have occurred.
