Where I’m from, driving anywhere requires lengthy travels on boring highways with fairly high speed limits. It’s easy to go into ‘auto-pilot’ mode and zone out, especially if you drive said highways extensively, and often, and at night.
So, the other night when a large black bear got in front of my 2012 Subaru Impreza tester just south of Sudbury, Ontario, I was glad I hadn’t zoned out.
Maybe Yogi was trying to escape the ravages of infinite droves of mosquitoes, activated by late-spring rain across Northern Ontario. Maybe he was just confused. Or maybe, he forgot to look both ways. Whatever the case, this is a common occurrence in my neck of the woods – and one that can be fatal if not handled properly.
Anyhow. Yogi.
Alight, Justin.
Don’t tense up. Gently onto the brakes, locate the escape path behind the bear, gently steer towards that escape path, eat the gravel shoulder a little, gently back onto the pavement. Breathe again. Then, jam on the horn to hopefully scare Yogi off the road. Engage four-way hazard lamps to advise oncoming motorists of the potential threat if not.
Crisis averted.
I’m not a driving instructor, nor do I have superhuman driving skills. What I am is a northerner that puts on thousands of kilometres a week, each and every week in a variety of different cars that sometimes face a variety of different wildlife.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned (and been taught) to help evade wildlife-related accidents on the road.
1) Be able to see and react well. Do your eyes a favor at night and have a properly-aimed lighting system, preferably of the xenon-fired variety. Note that a quality set of driving glasses during the day will keep your eyes ‘fresh’ into the evening as well. Fight eye fatigue – as it can prevent you from quickly recognizing hazards up ahead.
2) Don’t go Hollywood. Stabbing and thrashing at the brakes and steering, respectively, is a good way to plow directly into what you’re trying to avoid. Apply the brakes and steering inputs smoothly and you’ll have more grip for evading dangerous situations.
3) Dodge to the rear of the animal if you can. Most animals don’t like to walk or run backwards.
4) Be prepared and don’t panic. Use an empty stretch of road to practice slamming on your brakes and steering quickly and smoothly when it’s safe to do so. You’ll be more confident and successful when a situation requires this reaction for real.
5) Maintain your braking firmly, even if you’re taking the gravel shoulder. Be firm but smooth with the inputs.
6) Don’t cause an accident for a bunny. If faced with running over a small critter or having to dodge into oncoming traffic, the animal loses. An unfortunate fact of life.
7) Eyes up for advanced warning. Look as far as you can up the road. Your peripheral vision is more sensitive to changes on the edges of your sight (ie, in the bush), anyways. Look to the end of your headlights, and let your peripheral vision locate hazards to the side.
8) Get off the road. If you hit an animal and suffer an accident, engage your four-ways, and pull as far as you possibly can onto the shoulder.
So, the other night when a large black bear got in front of my 2012 Subaru Impreza tester just south of Sudbury, Ontario, I was glad I hadn’t zoned out.
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Maybe Yogi was trying to escape the ravages of infinite droves of mosquitoes, activated by late-spring rain across Northern Ontario. Maybe he was just confused. Or maybe, he forgot to look both ways. Whatever the case, this is a common occurrence in my neck of the woods – and one that can be fatal if not handled properly.
Anyhow. Yogi.
Alight, Justin.
Don’t tense up. Gently onto the brakes, locate the escape path behind the bear, gently steer towards that escape path, eat the gravel shoulder a little, gently back onto the pavement. Breathe again. Then, jam on the horn to hopefully scare Yogi off the road. Engage four-way hazard lamps to advise oncoming motorists of the potential threat if not.
Crisis averted.
I’m not a driving instructor, nor do I have superhuman driving skills. What I am is a northerner that puts on thousands of kilometres a week, each and every week in a variety of different cars that sometimes face a variety of different wildlife.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned (and been taught) to help evade wildlife-related accidents on the road.
1) Be able to see and react well. Do your eyes a favor at night and have a properly-aimed lighting system, preferably of the xenon-fired variety. Note that a quality set of driving glasses during the day will keep your eyes ‘fresh’ into the evening as well. Fight eye fatigue – as it can prevent you from quickly recognizing hazards up ahead.
2) Don’t go Hollywood. Stabbing and thrashing at the brakes and steering, respectively, is a good way to plow directly into what you’re trying to avoid. Apply the brakes and steering inputs smoothly and you’ll have more grip for evading dangerous situations.
3) Dodge to the rear of the animal if you can. Most animals don’t like to walk or run backwards.
4) Be prepared and don’t panic. Use an empty stretch of road to practice slamming on your brakes and steering quickly and smoothly when it’s safe to do so. You’ll be more confident and successful when a situation requires this reaction for real.
5) Maintain your braking firmly, even if you’re taking the gravel shoulder. Be firm but smooth with the inputs.
6) Don’t cause an accident for a bunny. If faced with running over a small critter or having to dodge into oncoming traffic, the animal loses. An unfortunate fact of life.
7) Eyes up for advanced warning. Look as far as you can up the road. Your peripheral vision is more sensitive to changes on the edges of your sight (ie, in the bush), anyways. Look to the end of your headlights, and let your peripheral vision locate hazards to the side.
8) Get off the road. If you hit an animal and suffer an accident, engage your four-ways, and pull as far as you possibly can onto the shoulder.