Autumn brings an increased risk of collision with game. Where to be most careful?
Earlier dusk, slippery leaves, frequent bad weather and hungry animals migrating for food are typical manifestations of autumn time. For drivers, this means a greater likelihood of collision with forest creatures. Quite logically, you expect such a situation mainly on district roads between forests and meadows, but the truth is that clashes with animals most often take place on highway stretches.
Not all major routes are fenced, and given the volume of traffic, it’s almost certain that if a creature ventures onto the road, it will almost certainly be its last journey. The problem is also that due to the high speed, the collision is much more expensive, more destructive and more dangerous for the crew. According to the Accident Portal, 13.4% of all accidents that happen on the highway have such a course. On average, there are 460 of them per year.
Interestingly, while in the districts such incidents happen between 4 and 9 p.m. and 4 and 7 a.m., on the highway it is precisely between these sections with the peak around 2 a.m. At this time, the traffic calms down, which motivates the animals to cross.
Since we mentioned highways, it’s probably not hard to guess the most risky regions. Yes, they are the ones through which the D1 passes, headed by the Central Bohemian Region, where traffic heading to Prague accumulates. It is here that an animal meets a car 208 times a year. It is followed by Vysočina with 52 incidents and the South Moravian Region with 51 precipitations. The Zlín region has the largest share of accidents involving animals, but the accident rate is generally low.
When we look at individual places, the riskiest is D10 between Venátky nad Jizerou and Kbely. It is a well-known long straight surrounded by fields and forests. There are no barriers or proper fencing. In the last two years, there have been nine accidents with damage of around CZK 1.1 million. Another risky place is in the Praha-západ district in Mníšek pod Brdy near the exit at km 18. Although it is a partially built-up area, the nearby fields and Brda forests are an ideal refuge for migrating four-legged residents.
From the statistics that the Accident Portal has been creating since 2010, it follows that there are alternating cycles every year with a larger and smaller number of accidents. When we return to the more serious consequences, it is logical that the calculation of the accident is usually higher. While the average damage in an accident is around 44,637 CZK, in these cases it is 77,897 CZK.
