Scrap price comparison service has worked with the RSPCA to reveal when you’re most likely to be involved in an accident involving an animal – as well as the animals which are most commonly harmed in these accidents.
The research is based on data from calls to the RSPCA concerning incidents related to animals involved in road traffic collisions (RTCs).
The RSPCA has also shared advice on what to do if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of hitting an animal while out on the roads.
According to internal data from the RSPCA, January is the month with the highest number of incidents relating to road traffic collisions, with 811 incidents taking place in 2020. February and September followed as the second and third months with the most incidents involving animals, with 649 and 585 incidents respectively. December was revealed as the month with the least incidents (only 385), with November ranking in 10th position with only 463 incidents. Drivers are less likely to collide with them on the roads, however they should always take care, especially in the dark. Overall, the data revealed that there were 6,608 animal incidents relating to road traffic collisions throughout the year. The call data from the RSPCA also revealed the types of animals which are most commonly involved in road traffic collisions. Wild mammals – including creatures such as badgers, deer, foxes, hedgehogs and rabbits – were the animals which were involved in the most collisions. Specifically, it was deer falling victim to the most collisions, with RSPCA call data showing 1,519 incidents related to deer alone. Foxes were the second most common animals to be harmed by our cars (947 reports) followed by badgers (240 reports). Adam Grogan, Head of the Wildlife department at the RSPCA, said, “Our call data helps to highlight that thousands of animals are harmed on British roads each year but in reality, this is only a fraction of the animal-related accidents that take place, as we of course don’t receive a call for every single occurrence. “Sadly, you can expect the number of animals actually getting harmed on roads in the UK to actually be much higher. Our goal should always be to live in harmony with the natural world, and for any driver, unknowingly hitting an animal can be an extremely distressing time.” | If anyone finds a healthy or injured animal on any road, it is their responsibility to notify the correct authority as soon as possible, depending on the type of animal, so be sure to take note of the following before driving:
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