He explained why wildlife should be specially protected where road repairs are done.

According to naturalist Selemonas Paltanavičius, asphalting and road repair works, especially near forests or other animal habitats, cause great stress to wild animals and alter their established trajectories. Repairs cause a lot of noise, change the normal flow of traffic, and create a lot of new and unusual smells in those areas.

“Usually, during this work, the animals move away and move to other places, where there is a much higher concentration. It is true that if a long stretch is repaired, the beasts can find a quieter passage suitable for them and in completely unexpected and quite crowded places. This is how deer normally behave ”, says S. Paltanavičius.

According to him, it takes a long time for animals to get used to the new roads, so in repair work it is necessary to respect the established speed limits.

What are the most dangerous?

According to Viktorija Katilienė, head of the Claims Department at the Gjensidige insurance company, half of the recorded collisions occur with deer. Although collisions with wildlife account for a small proportion of all accidents, their losses are significantly greater. The average damage from a collision with a wild animal is € 1,700, while the average damage from helmet insurance is € 1,041.

This year, the highest damage paid was 14 thousand. when a truck driven by a Gjensidige customer collided with a deer.

According to the naturalist S. Paltanavičius, the large ungulates, which are the most important in traffic accidents, slightly change their behavior in autumn.

“First of all, the deer and fallow deer cubs are already large, so the overall herd has increased significantly, the number of animals is much higher now. In the afternoons, mornings and evenings, they travel to nearby places to eat, to be able to cross the roads, ”says S. Paltanavičius.

According to him, moose and deer roost in mid-October, during which time they are very active, active 24 hours, can be expected in non-traditional places where animals are kept. In addition, at this time, the deer are focused on groups of several or a dozen beasts and present a difficult problem to solve when traveling: after crossing several beasts on the way, no one knows if there will still be or if it is possible to ride Safely.

“In autumn, foxes, hares, otters, beavers and mangoes are common on Lithuanian roads. While these animals are not the most dangerous in traffic accidents, drivers should feel responsible not only for the car but also for the death of the animal. All ungulates are potentially dangerous to humans and their cars: wild boar, elk, deer, roe deer, fallow deer, ”says S. Paltanavičius.

He points out that in early autumn the dietary migrations of deer, roe deer or fallow deer are not very active, but since the end of October they are really intense:

According to S. Paltanavičiai, due to the decline in the wild boar population, these animals do not cause problems on the roads.

The biggest loss is avoiding a collision.

According to the representative of the insurance company, the damage to vehicles in contact with a smaller animal, such as a leaf or a hare, is less.

“Most of the time the bumper, the fog lights and the front grill of the car are damaged. Larger animals do more damage: they break the headlights, the bumper, the front grill, they damage the internal elements of the engine compartment and the radiator. Collisions with elk are the ones that end the most: people often suffer, and all the listed parts of the car are damaged, the windshield and even the roof are damaged, “says V. Katilienė.

However, he points out that the most serious consequences of traffic accidents occur when inexperienced drivers try to avoid a collision with an animal and do not control the car.

“In such cases, the car usually runs off the road, hits trees, rolls over or goes out into the opposite lane,” says a spokeswoman for the insurance company.

Remember that automakers even apply the moose test, which requires braking hard and passing the obstacle when driving fast and in the event of a sudden obstacle.

The most important thing is not to scare the animal

In order to avoid traffic accidents, the representative of the insurance company V. Katilienė advises drivers to maintain a safe distance, choose the appropriate speed and take into account that animals perceive speed much worse than humans.

“If you notice an animal on the road, slow down or even stop so the animal can roll off the road. This will reduce the likelihood that the confused animal will wander unpredictably, ”said the insurer.

Tips for drivers to avoid collisions with wildlife:

• Select the driving speed according to the weather and road conditions.
• Remember that animals perceive speed much worse than humans and behave unpredictably.
• Special care should be taken immediately after sunset or before sunrise, when wildlife is most active.
• Do not scare animals on the road with an acoustic signal.
• When you see an animal on the road, turn on your hazard lights, slow down, and wait for the animal to pull off the road.
• Remember that animals often move in flocks.