The commercial website Bankrate.com has a good article on driving near wildlife. Check it out. Here are the opening paragraphs:
As America’s roadways expand, humans continue to cross paths with the natural landscape and its animal inhabitants. The overlap between humanity and the wild is inevitable, especially as construction grows and animal populations fall victim to modern expansion.
As a driver, wildlife can be an enormous and even fatal threat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), an average of 1-2 million collisions with large animals occur each year. Animal collisions with speeds in excess of 55mph are particularly problematic, the USDA indicates. As the number of animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) is substantial each year, it’s critical that you know how to drive safely and what to do should you be involved in an accident.
Be aware
Remote roadways and nighttime drivers are especially susceptible to wildlife, but the truth is that collisions with animals can and do happen anywhere.
While over 95% of AVCs result in no human injury, these accidents are having an enormous impact on animal populations — not just the large ones. The Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Study declares 21 animal species as federally threatened or endangered in the United States by road mortality and other major threats to survival. Some of these species include the Hawaiian goose, desert tortoise, San Joaquin kit fox, and California tiger salamander. Especially precarious is the Florida panther, which is also endangered and particularly susceptible to AVCs.
