They are Out There ---- Give It a Break

It's fall and winter is coming soon. The dangers of driving are in sight and don't forget they are out there. What's out there?? The animals that run wild. These animals are forced to cross the same roads and highways that you drive. They are in search of food, water, cover and mates. However, this often places them in the path of speeding vehicles. 

The best thing to do is to slow down. If you watch how fast you are going along with driving safely you will have a better chance of stopping in time in the chance that an animal darts into the road. Young drivers ages 15 to 24 have the highest injury rate of any age group from car accidents involving large animals. Many animals are hit simply because people are driving too fast to avoid them. If you slow down just a bit it makes the road safer for other divers and pedestrians as well. 

Wildlife often appears in and near the road at different times of the day more than others. Dawn, dusk and first few hours of darkness are the most popular times. Often when you drive down the road and see one animal you will see others close by. Young animals will follow their mother or males pursuing a female may be close by as well. 

Here where we live near the Shawnee forest there are often beautiful animals to see. The problem is that the roads are primarily near woods, fields, and streams. These are all places that animals will gather. Drivers must always be on the look out for animals on the road. Driving around 45 mph is recommended. Watching the edges for wildlife on the side of the road When driving at night use your high-beams whenever possible. Tip on this is to lower your dashboard lights just a bit this will help you see your headlights reflected in the eyes of animal and allow you to give a break.