Have you ever experienced bumping into an animal whilst driving? Oh no! That is dangerous, isn’t it?
For some drivers, the experience of hearing an unambiguous sound of an injured animal is horrible. Collisions with animals can be a serious problem, especially for truck drivers who often spend long hours on the road. Hitting an animal whilst doing the delivery is nothing but hassle.
In some cases, when you are about to pass an active wildlife you will see an animal street sign. These signs are designed to identify some road hazards that you may encounter. It could be a kangaroo taking a hop, cows crossing, wallabies or a cassowary passing the road.
So what will you do when you see an animal coming your way? Are you just going to swerve?
Our Brisbane Truck School listed 9 tips to stay safe and avoid animals whilst driving:
- If an animal runs in front of your vehicle, do not swerve but brake quickly.
- Our Brisbane Truck School suggests scanning the road by moving your eyes back and forth. Scanning the road ahead and continuously sweeping your eyes on your surroundings will allow you to see animal signs and movement. You can also notice some animals along the highway so you have to make sure to look to the left and right.
- Be aware of wooded areas because deer are likely to cross during dawn and dusk.
- Burleigh Driver Training School suggests reducing your driving speed every time you see a yellow animal crossing sign. Over speeding can bring various road accident because:
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It lessens the driver’s ability to steer away from any road hazard;
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There is a greater chance to lose control of your vehicle because of excessive speed; and
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It increases the force of impact when a vehicle collision happens.
- Our Brisbane Truck School recommends keeping your headlights, signal lights and tail lights in good working condition. You can easily spot a wildlife area when using high beams.
- Driving School Gold Coast advises wearing your seat belt all the time, staying awake and avoiding any activity that can steal your focus.
- Do not attempt to go near a wounded animal because most of them are unpredictable. Call the nearest local, state or territory wildlife rescue group for help and assistance.
- Always remember that animals usually gather or travel in groups. One kangaroo means more kangaroos. When you see one on the road, slow down or stop your vehicle at the most convenient place.
- The last tip from our Brisbane Truck School is to anticipate unforeseeable behaviour from all animals that you may see. Identify where the animal is going and what the animal is going to do. By doing this, you will have enough time to pull over or stop.
Do you have more tips to avoid hitting animals whilst driving on the road or a success story about how you avoided a possible animal collision? Please do not hesitate to share it with us.
‘Say No To Animal Cruelty’
TAGS: Safe Driving Tips, Truck Driver Safety Training, Truck Licence Gold Coast
