Reh jumps onto the street: drivers provoked heavy crash!

Reh jumps onto the street: drivers provoked heavy crash!

In the early Saturday morning, January 18, 2025, there was a game accident on Trier Strasse in Kusel, which not only caused significant damage to property, but also illustrated the dangers of a sudden change of game. A 59-year-old driver was just in the city when a deer suddenly jumped onto the road. The driver undertook a quick evasive maneuver, which, however, led to him get off the road and collided with a street lamp and a traffic sign. Fortunately, the deer remained unscathed, while the driver's vehicle was badly damaged and was no longer ready to drive, which is why it had to be towed.

Such accidents are part of a major problem: In Austria, over 77,000 wild animals on the streets lose their lives and around 300 road users suffer injuries to game accidents. Most collisions with wild animals occur at dusk or during the night, especially between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. These times are also particularly critical for travelers, since wild animals often cross the streets in groups. It is therefore important to be able to stop and wait for a game change.

risks and security measures

The driver's evasive maneuver in Kusel fits into a variety of recommendations that are given for such situations. In the event of a threat of collision with a wild animal, full braking is urgently advised, since evasive maneuvers are often risky and can lead to serious accidents. After a game accident, the warning indicator system should be switched on and the accident site should be secured. The creation of reflective warning vests is also advisable to increase visibility.

The Federal Institute for Roads (BAST) points out that game accidents are a significant risk of traffic safety. In 2021 there was a slight increase in serious game accidents compared to the previous year, with a damage volume of 940 million euros alone on cars. In order to avoid accidents, experts rely on various measures, including game change traffic signs, game protection fences and wild warning systems. However, current studies show that the effectiveness of these measures is only limited.

prevention strategies

The bast continues to examine the causes and tries to develop strategies to improve traffic safety. This includes the identification of game incidental areas using geographic information systems. Particular attention is paid to the behavior of wild animals, since so far there are little data about how animals react on streets. Studies have shown that deer often have no fear of streets and often see them as part of their habitat.

ichneumonids such as fragrance barriers and wild warning reflectors should help keep wild animals away from streets. However, there are only limited positive results regarding their effectiveness. In view of the challenges caused by agricultural structural change and climate change, networking of habitats through green bridges and rest zones is a promising strategy for reducing game incident.

The incident in Kusel should serve as a warning, both for drivers and for the responsible authorities. Measures to train road users, education about the risks and the promotion of security strategies are crucial to protect both the life of the wild animals and that of people. Current figures on accidents and threats to public security in road traffic underline the urgency of protective measures. AD-HOC-NEWS reports that the Kusel police can be reached on 06381/919-0 for press inquiries.