Pronged risk: how to avoid accidents with wild animals
In early autumn, the risk of accidents with wild animals increases dramatically. At this time of the year, moose, which pose the greatest danger to drivers and passengers, begin their rutting period, and they run out onto the roads more often. "Izvestia" found out how to avoid a collision with a sochat and what to do for motorists who met the beast on the highway.
Attention, moose
For eight months of this year, according to the operational data of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, 459 accidents related to animal collisions occurred on the country's roads. 68 (-1.4%) people died in such car accidents and 585 (-7.3%) were injured. Despite the decrease in the number of such accidents (compared to the same period last year, they decreased by 9.1%), the beginning of autumn is traditionally considered the most dangerous time of the year, when the largest number of accidents involving animals is recorded.
Since the beginning of September, several such car accidents have already occurred, in which people were killed and injured. So, on September 17, three people became victims of a collision with a moose in the Orel region. For the same reason, on September 14, one person died and one was injured in the Novgorod region. On September 5, the driver who hit Sochaty in the Leningrad region was fatally injured. Incidents with wild animals on the road were also recorded in the Moscow region, the Smolensk and Murmansk regions, Karelia and other regions of the country.
""The main reason for moose entering highways at this time of the year is the rutting season, which lasts from the end of August to mid—October," " Karina Fomenko, head of the scientific department of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, told Izvestia. The peak of activity falls at the end of September, she noted.
— Males lose their caution, the instinct of self-preservation is dulled, animals stop being afraid of people and can go out to settlements or roads at any time of the day. Forests are cut by roads, which makes it easier for animals to access urbanized areas and, consequently, increases the risk of collisions. During this period, their aggression towards rivals, and sometimes towards a person, is growing," said Karina Fomenko.
She noted that moose are crepuscular animals, they are most active from dusk to dawn. It is at this time of day that the probability of an unexpected encounter with an artiodactyl is maximum.
Why is the moose the most dangerous animal
Of all the accidents involving wild animals, a collision with a moose is one of the most dangerous for drivers and passengers, says Denis Zagarin, head of the "NAMI" Testing Center, Doctor of Technical Sciences. This is due to the peculiarities of the animal's anatomy.
— Due to the long legs of the moose, when colliding with it, the power elements of the car body are practically not involved, which, due to deformation, are designed to dampen the impact energy. The bulk of the animal's body is located well above these vehicle safety zones. The entire impact falls on the front pillars and the windshield opening. As a result, even if the collision occurs at a relatively low speed, the beast, whose weight can reach more than half a ton, flies into the interior of the car. This is fraught with serious injuries or death of people in the car," the expert told "Izvestia".
To prevent accidents involving moose or other wild animals, he recommends that motorists first reduce their speed when driving in places where animals can enter the road. This will allow you to notice the representative of the fauna in time, and even if you can't avoid a collision, the consequences will be less severe, says the head of the Testing Center of FSUE "NAMI".
Speed is the key to safety
The key to a safe trip and preventing a potentially dangerous encounter with a wild animal on the autumn road is compliance with the established speed limits, as well as choosing a speed limit taking into account weather and road conditions, the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia reminds.
— To avoid a collision with an animal, drivers need to take special care when driving near forest areas, as well as in the area of the 1.27 "Wild Animals" road sign. On such road sections, it is necessary to further reduce speed, especially at night or in conditions of insufficient visibility, and be prepared to stop the car completely," Police Colonel Sergey Hrantskevich, head of the Department for road Safety Promotion and prevention of child traffic injuries at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, told "Izvestia".
It must be remembered that an animal can appear on the roadway suddenly, and its trajectory and behavior can be unpredictable, the "Izvestia" interlocutor recalled.
Should I slow down or go around?
The reason for any accident with an animal is an incorrect assessment of the traffic situation and the choice of speed limit, emphasizes Oleg Shatov, an expert on emergency driving, head of the Kazan school of higher driving skills. He also recommends that motorists slow down in advance in order to spot the beast in time.
— Most of the time, the appearance of wild animals on the road comes as a complete surprise to drivers. The first thing to do in such a situation is to press the brake pedal with all your might. Even if a collision cannot be avoided, it will occur at a lower speed, which means that the consequences of such an accident will be less severe," Oleg Shatov emphasizes.
Maneuvering and trying to avoid an animal is an extreme measure, the expert of emergency driving emphasizes. It should be used if it is obvious that a collision is inevitable, and only in situations where an elk or deer has entered the road.
— It should be understood that sudden maneuvering in an attempt to avoid a moose can result in loss of control of the car, especially if the motorist does not have stable skills of emergency driving. However, the probability of ending up in a ditch is still less dangerous than a collision with a moose, which in the vast majority of cases ends very sadly. Definitely, you should not avoid collisions with smaller animals: wild boars, wolves, foxes, hares. A collision with them, as a rule, leads only to damage to the car, but does not entail injury to people," Oleg Shatov noted.
What is allowed and what is not allowed
If a wild animal appears on the road, motorists should stop and turn on the emergency alarm, advises Karina Fomenko.
"The beast needs to be allowed to leave. It is necessary to wait until he leaves the roadway, and only then continue driving. ""It is absolutely unacceptable to try to "slip" past an animal," recommends the head of the scientific department of the Losiny Ostrov National Park.
While waiting for the animal to get out of the way, it is absolutely forbidden to honk at it or blink the high beam, Karina Fomenko emphasizes. Sound and bright light can frighten an animal and make it rush in an unpredictable direction, she explains. You should also not get out of the car.
If a collision could not be avoided, one should not approach the injured animal — it can seriously injure a person, the expert emphasizes. In such a situation, you should definitely report the incident to the police and wait for the arrival of traffic police officers.
A collision with an animal is also a car accident, so the driver should not leave the scene, emphasizes Sergey Hrantskevich. Otherwise, according to current legislation, he faces deprivation of his rights for a period of one to one and a half years or administrative arrest for up to 15 days for leaving the scene of an accident.
Dear animals...
Wild animals are property that belongs to the state, says Sergey Radko, a lawyer for the "Freedom of Choice" movement. The damage caused to hunting resources as a result of the accident will have to be compensated to the driver who hit the animal, the lawyer stressed.
According to the order of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation dated November 17, 2017 No. 612, each animal is "valued" at a certain amount. For example, a moose, a Siberian ibex or a musk ox that died in an accident "costs" 80 thousand rubles. The driver will have to pay 60 thousand rubles for a spotted deer, fallow deer or saiga, 40 thousand rubles for a roe deer, mouflon or lynx, and 30 thousand rubles for a wild boar or wild reindeer. The most "expensive" are bighorn sheep (100 thousand rubles) and a hybrid of bison and bison (180 thousand rubles).
— Since a wild animal is state property, the damage caused by its death as a result of an accident can be covered under the CTP policy. But for this to happen, the incident must be properly documented by Traffic police officers: there can be no question of any European protocol in this case. If the car is insured under a hard hat, then it will not be possible to receive compensation without a certificate of an accident issued by traffic police. That is why in no case should you leave the scene of the accident: in this case, the driver risks not only losing his license, but also paying for the damage caused to the state and repairing the damaged car at his own expense," Sergei Radko told "Izvestia".
The Russian Union of Motor Insurers (RSA) confirmed that since a collision with an animal falls under the definition of an accident, if the driver has a CTP policy, the insurance company will pay compensation for the downed animal.
— If a vehicle collides with a wild animal, the driver should call police officers to record the incident, even if the downed animal left the scene of the collision on its own. At the same time, documents about the accident must be drawn up. If the State Traffic Inspectorate has drawn up such documents, then the concerned agency (in this case, the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia) applies to the insurer for payment, the RSA reported on the payment mechanism in case of an accident with a wild animal.
At the same time, the union emphasizes, if there is no CTP or the accident was not properly registered, the car owner will have to compensate for the damage himself. In addition, the RSA reminds that the CTP policy does not cover the repair of a car damaged in such an accident: for this, the driver must have a hard hat contract.
""As reported to Izvestia by the insurance company "Consent", last year, drivers most often hit dogs: they accounted for 32% of insurance cases related to animal attacks. In 12% of cases, a collision occurred with roe deer, 7% of accidents were associated with hitting moose. Cows accounted for 6% of referrals.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
