The wildlife that you might see out on the road in Alaska
Tips to avoid hitting any animals that are in the road
Final word
The wildlife that you might see out on the road in Alaska
When you are driving in Alaska, it is a definite possibility that you might see animals out on the road at any point during the year. If you are not paying attention, you could end up hitting one of these animals which is an awful experience just because of the guilt that comes with injuring or killing an animal. However, it can also cause significant and costly damage to your vehicle as well.
So, it is obviously in your best interest to do everything in your power to avoiding hitting one of these creatures.
There are various types of animals that you could see out on the road in Alaska. This includes deer, moose, elk, bears, wolves, bison, muskox, foxes and more.
On average, Alaska has seen over two hundred vehicle-moose collisions every year. That statistic obviously does not account for any other animal such as deer or bison. So, it is definitely an issue to be aware of.
Some of these animals are obviously larger than others and would cause considerably more damage if you hit one of them with your car. However, it would be a very upsetting and regrettable experience regardless of the type of animal you hit.
Tips to avoid hitting any animals that are in the road
There are actually quite a few things you can do to be proactive and avoid hitting one of these animals. Some may be less obvious than the rest:
- Pay attention – This is one of the more obvious tips, but make sure that you are always paying attention to the road at all times while you are driving. Always avoid any distractions such as cell phone use when you are driving your car. Doing something like using your cell phone, for even a moment, can be the difference between being able to avoid a collision with an animal and not being able to.
- Drive with caution – You should always avoid driving too fast or aggressively just as a general best practice in terms of safety, but it also specifically helps you avoid collisions with animals that are out on the road.
- Know your surroundings – If you are aware that you are in a high traffic area for animals such as deer, know that you could very likely have at least one or more of them in the road at in-opportune moments.
- Animals do not often travel alone – You need to realize that animals travel with other animals. So, where you might see one deer, be aware there are likely others nearby as well.
- Do everything you can not to swerve – Brake decisively if you see an animal in your driving path but do not swerve to avoid them. Doing so could take you off the road and cause your vehicle considerable damage and yourself serious injury, possibly worse than if you collided with the animal in question. You can also end up in a collision with another car this way.
Final word
Hitting an animal with your vehicle is one of the last things you want to end up happening while you are driving. The possibility of this occurring in Alaska is as large as it is anywhere else due to the higher volume of wildlife spread throughout the state.
If you do happen to hit an animal when you are driving in Alaska, you will not have to just deal with the guilt and memory of injuring and/or killing an animal, you will very likely also have some expensive damage on your car to take care of.
The primary way that you can avoid a terrible situation like this is by taking the care to drive safely and pay attention at all times.
