What to do if you hit a wild animal?

Every driver has faced a situation where a wild animal suddenly runs onto the road. Unfortunately, some of these encounters have sad consequences, and it's fortunate if it's only for the animal.

Every driver has faced a situation where a wild animal suddenly runs onto the road. Unfortunately, some of these encounters have sad consequences, and it's fortunate if it's only for the animal. In such cases, many motorists, after catching their breath, are in a hurry to leave the scene, thinking, thank God, I got away with it, and there's nothing that can be done for the poor animal anymore. Others, estimating the weight of the carcass and calculating the accidental profit, load the hit animal into the trunk, without thinking that they are breaking the law.

For the illegal movement or butchering of wild animals, including those that are game species, even if deceased, or their parts, the legislation provides for administrative or criminal liability. A criminal case under Article 282-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus may be initiated if the driver has already been brought to justice for the same offense within a year. In this case, they face punishment in the form of a fine, correctional labor for up to two years, or arrest. If the crime was committed on a large scale, or in a nature reserve, or if the hit animal is listed in the Red Book, the offender may be punished not only with a fine but also with arrest, restriction, or even deprivation of liberty.

The actions of a driver who simply picks up a wild animal already hit by someone else on the highway will also be qualified from a legal perspective. It does not matter if it is a hare, a roe deer, or a wild boar. All these animals are game species, which means that a hunting license is required for their extraction. Therefore, if you find a hit animal on the highway or hit it yourself and decide to take the carcass as compensation for the damaged car, remember that you may incur even greater damage by paying a substantial fine.

How to avoid a dangerous encounter on the road?

As a rule, elk, roe deer, and wild boars are hit by vehicles, most often at night. Biologists believe that the behavior of animals running into the headlights is due to the fact that they associate this light with fire. The proximity of fire and danger makes the animals flee, hurrying to get to the other side of the road before the flame cuts off their path. Therefore, they dart onto the roadway and find themselves directly in front of the car.

to avoid such an encounter, drivers should reduce their speed on the section of the road that passes through a forest, and upon noticing a glint on the roadside, be especially cautious – it might be the eyes of an animal reflecting in the headlights. In this case, it is best to reduce speed to a minimum until the hazardous section is left behind.

What to do if you hit an animal?

Firstly, do not approach a wounded animal; it may be aggressive or infected with rabies. Act according to the traffic rules: mark the accident site with an "emergency stop" sign, provide first aid to the injured, call the traffic police (GAI) and, if necessary, an ambulance. Police officers, in turn, will contact the owners of hunting grounds and the territorial body of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. If the accident occurred outside the zone of the "Wild Animals" sign, the driver did not exceed the speed limit, was sober, and did not violate the rules, they will not have to pay compensation for the hit animal.

Information on road traffic accidents involving wild animals of regulated species, for the period from 01.01.2023 to 30.09.2023 in the Lepel district: 32 accidents involving wild animals have occurred (12 roe deer, 18 elk, 1 deer, 1 wild boar).