October peak period for collisions with wildlife

KEEPING an eye out for wildlife bounding or scurrying onto the road is normally hardwired into regional drivers’ minds, and the Department of Transport is encouraging drivers to be particularly vigilant about kangaroos this Spring.

This time of year marks the start of breeding season and wildlife is becoming more active.

Last year, the number of vehicle collisions involving kangaroos peaked in October, and the trend looks set to continue this year.

Colliding with an animal as large as a kangaroo can not only damage a vehicle but can also cause serious injury to motorists and passengers.

In 2019, 21 percent of collisions on Victorian roads involving kangaroos resulted in serious injury to occupants.

At this time of year, motorists need to be on the alert for kangaroos, especially at dusk and dawn.

Swerving violently to avoid an animal on the roadway can result in a loss of vehicle control or serious collisions with oncoming traffic. Any actions taken to avoid hitting wildlife should be done safely, by steering straight and applying the brakes in a controlled manner. While it is sad, a collision with an animal is a preferable outcome to a collision that may result in injury or death to humans.

Motorists who encounter injured wildlife should contact Wildlife Victoria on 8400 7300.

The public transport system is also impacted by the increased activity of wildlife. On the V/Line network, more than 750 animal strikes were reported in the past year and the majority of the trains involved required a deep clean bio-wash.