OPP remind drivers to be careful of wildlife while driving on highway

Ontario Provincial Police officers in Atikokan, Ont. say they responded to two moose collisions this past weekend on Highway 11 east of Atikokan.

Police said the collisions took place during the dark evening hours and one of the vehicle occupants sustained minor injuries.

OPP would like to remind drivers that there are steps that can be taken to help reduce the risk of a wildlife collision, especially at night by:

• Preparing yourself mentally and thinking about what you might do if an animal suddenly darted out in front of you.
• Reducing your speed. Speeding reduces the drivers' ability to steer away from objects on the roadway, it extends the distance required to stop and it also increases the force of impact in the event of a collision.
• Watching for movement along the sides of the road and looking for animals' eyes illuminated in the darkness.

If you do strike a large animal, here's what you should do:

• Pull off the road
• Turn on hazard lights
• If possible, illuminate the animal with your headlights
• You may choose to carefully approach the animal to determine if it's dead or injured. If injured, back off. A wounded animal can be very dangerous and police can attend to dispatch the wounded wildlife.
• If the animal is dead, you may remove it from the road so that it does not present a hazard to other drivers.