Driving Safety Tips Around Wildlife

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By Penny Preston

Story Published: Dec 23, 2010 at 7:45 AM MDT

Story Updated: Dec 23, 2010 at 3:40 PM MDT

CODY, WYOMING - Tis the season, for wildlife crashes on Wyoming highways.

There are more large animals on the roadways now, and more chances for drivers to ding more than their car. Wildlife collisions can cost you thousands of dollars, and threaten your life. It happens every day. Deer are grazing near the highway, edging closer and closer to the pavement. It’s getting darker, and drivers passing by don’t notice the big animals just feet away. The result is tragic. Animals are killed, or maimed. The damage to the vehicle can be costly. Drivers and passengers can be hurt, or killed.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Information and Education Specialist Dennie Hammer said, “This time of year, along our water courses, and along the farm areas, animals move down out of the mountains, they are in their winter migrations and on their winter ranges, and often times those winter ranges are in places where we have highways.”

Hammer said the result is, “There’s a lot of animals that are being hit and killed, or there’s a lot of animals that are being hit and wounded, but it’s a concern also that there’s a human safety element here.”

A Big Horn Radio Network ad said, “The crew at Reno Collision Center reminds you to be extra careful at dawn and at dusk.” The manager of Reno Collision auto repair shop said 40% of their business comes from wildlife crashes, but they bought the radio ad to help stop them.

Reno Manager Dusty Lafollette, Reno Collision Manager explained why they chose to help protect people, “We’ll get our fair share of work whether it’s deer accidents or other stuff. The biggest thing is safety.” In this country, it’s not just deer that may be in the road. There are Bighorn Sheep, elk, moose, and even bigger road hazards.

Dennie Hammer said, “You’re going up to cross country ski in the Park, then we have bison that are oftentimes on the highways as well.”

Hammer said the best way to avoid hitting an animal is to pay attention especially at night, dawn, and dusk, and “A lot of deer collisions, especially deer, could be avoided if people would slow down in their winter time.” Hammer said you should be prepared to stop when you see an animal on the roadside, because they may actually run in front of your car to escape the danger they perceive.

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