Washington State Troopers, California Highway patrol officers and other traffic safety experts offer advice to help Seattle drivers avoid a car accident with an animal. Experts now advise drivers who suddenly come upon an animal in the road not to swerve to avoid hitting the animal. If the driver can safely make a lane change to avoid an animal-vehicle collision, that may be the best course of action for the animal. However, human injuries are most likely to occur by car crashes that happen after the driver swerves.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration collects statistics on human-animal collisions. In 2009, 12,000 injury crashes involving animals took place; 173 crashes included human fatalities. The cost of these accidents is significant.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than $1 billion in vehicle damage is sustained from the 77 percent of car crashes that involved deer. The average cost of a collision with a deer is $3,171. The months when deer-related accidents are most likely to occur are October, November and December. By contrast, 10 percent of accidents involved cows, 6 percent involved horses, and 6 percent involved dogs.

A spokesperson for an animal control shelter suggests that dog owners keep their animals in fenced yards and on leashes. When dogs escape, do whatever it takes to keep the dog from moving toward traffic. Calling the animal and running away from it can help engage the dog in a game where it follows you toward safety.

Perhaps the most important move drivers can take to avoid fatalities is to fasten a seat belt or, in the case of a motorcyclist, put on a helmet before entering traffic. Experts believe these simple preventive measures would have prevented most of the fatalities reported.

Source: The Washington Post, "Do you brake for animals? Some advice for drivers on when and whether to swerve," Associated Press, Jan. 10, 2012