Animal ‘threat’ to motorists on our roads
ALMOST 13 per cent of motorists have been involved in at least one collision with a pet or animal in the last five years, according to research carried out by AA Ireland.
An AA Motor Insurance Survey of over 9,500 motorists, revealed that 10.02 per cent said they had run over or hit one animal since 2011.
Meanwhile, a further 1.63 per cent of drivers had been involved in two such incidents in the same timeframe, with one per cent of those surveyed admitting that they had hit three or more animals in the last five years.
The survey also found a significant divide between those who drive in rural areas compared to those who do the majority of their driving in urban areas.
‘Uncontrolled animals or pets on the road is an issue which we regularly hear about at AA Roadwatch and while it may seem like a trivial issue at first, animals can certainly be a significant risk to motorists,’ said Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs.
‘Given how unpredictable the actions of an animal which is loose on the roads are, motorists may swerve suddenly in order to avoid hitting the animal.
‘While this may avoid causing any injury to the animal, it puts the motorists themselves and other road users in danger.’
The AA survey also found that most motorists’ commute to and from work is the time when they are most likely to be hit or run over an animal.
When asked about the last time they had been involved in such an incident, 21.13 per cent of those surveyed stated that they had hit the animal in question between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m, with 19.88 per cent stating the incident occurred between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
For the majority of drivers surveyed, their most recent run-in with an animal while driving occurred on a secondary or minor road, with less than 5 per cent of incidents occurring on motorways.
38.29 per cent of those surveyed stated that their last incident with an animal occurred on a secondary road (R Classification), while 23.43 per cent of such incidents occurred on minor roads.
‘Motorists should remember that if they come across an animal on the road, their first instinct should be to slow down carefully and avoid any sudden swerves so as not to put themselves in unnecessary danger,’ Faughnan said.
‘However, conservation of these animals aside, when driving in rural areas motorists need to be aware of the risk posed by animals as a collision with a larger animal could cause significant damage to you, your car and your pocket.’
Rabbits and birds such as crows caused the majority of incidents involving animals that those surveyed had experienced.
Unfortunately, family pets also appear quite likely to cause problems for Irish motorists, as 17.35 per cent of those surveyed stated that their last collision involving an animal had been with a dog, while 15.93 per cent had their last such incident with a cat.
In counties Wexford and Wicklow, wild deer are becoming an increasing problem with at least three incidents on the counties’ roads in recent months, one causing €5,000 in damage.