Nadleśnictwo Bolesławiec:

The animals most often killed under vehicle wheels are small ones: martens, hedgehogs, badgers, foxes and hares, but protected beavers, otters, wildcats and lynxes are also run over. Wolves account for approximately 60 individuals per year...

The largest number of recorded incidents involving animals concern roe deer and wild boar, followed in order by red deer and moose, and even European bison. The European species particularly vulnerable to the impact of road traffic is the badger.

Foresters add:

Who among us, while driving a car, has not had an unpleasant “encounter” with some animal? There are probably few drivers like that...

And while the deaths of small animals cause us no “harm,” larger ones pose a real threat to our health and lives.

The most complete data on road incidents involving animals is held by the police and road services. Unfortunately, many accidents and collisions of this kind are not reported at all. The data is therefore fragmentary and collected by many institutions...

Between 2001 and 2010, the number of road incidents involving animals recorded by the police on Polish roads increased from 8,423 in 2001 to 17,678 in 2010. In 2017, there were 24,604 such collisions. In addition, drivers collided with wild animals 195 times, as a result of which 10 people died and 229 were seriously injured.

What can be done to increase the safety of both sides? Nadleśnictwo advises

  • do not ignore warning signs reading “CAUTION: WILD ANIMALS” – adjust your speed
  • remember that wild animals migrate intensively in spring and autumn
  • the morning hours from 6–8 and evening hours from 18–23 are periods of intensive animal movement in search of food
  • do not flash your lights or honk – you will only frighten the animal, which will not always make it flee…
  • do not brake at all costs – there is a greater likelihood that you will lose control of the vehicle.

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