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The increased incidence of elks on Fi nnish roads with the onset of autumn presents a major danger to drivers once again. The most dangerous times are around dawn and just after sunset as elks are most likely to be on the move then. Half of all elk collisions take place within the first three hours after sunset.
Autumn is mating season for Finland’s elks, which means that they are especially likely to be on the move. The elk population is at its largest during this season, and the creatures will also be on the hunt for new pastures as winter approaches. The beginning of hunting season in September is a further factor driving elks onto Finland’s roads.
According to the Finnish Road Administration, the construction of new roads and residential areas has led to a disintegration of the natural habitat of elks and deer in parts of the country. As their normal migratory routes are cut off, the animals are forced to seek out new tracks. As a result, many elks wander onto sections of roads unprotected by a special elk barrier. These sections are marked for drivers with a triangular elk-warning sign posted on the roadside.
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Tips on avoiding collisions with elk and deer
— reduce your speed substantially during dusk and in areas marked by elk-warning signs
— use your main beam headlights as much as possible, though without blinding the oncoming traffic or the car in front
— pay attention to roadsides
— brake and flash your lights if you notice something unusual
— try to make way for the elk by swerving behind it, as long as you can do so without endangering other drivers
—If you collide with a deer, remember to inform emergency services immediately by calling 112
Source: Finnish Road Administration, Central Organisation for Traffic Safety in Finland
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Unpredictable reactions
Elk collisions are most common during the months of September and October, and peak-hour commuter traffic during dusk is a particularly risky time. Collisions with reindeer are most typical during the final months of the year. As the autumn days shorten, the risk of collision can be almost three times that of a well-lit summer day. The increasingly early sunsets also bring forward the high-risk period of the day.
Dimmer days make it difficult to spot an elk that has wandered onto the road. Startled by the approaching vehicle, an elk’s behaviour can be quite unexpected: a reindeer that has run onto the road may well react by leaping directly in front of the car, while an elk apparently firmly planted at the shoulder of a road may dash into the middle of it at the last minute. Drivers should not rely on an animal’s ability to judge the speed of oncoming traffic.
Slight reduction
Last year there were a total of 1,593 elk collisions on Finland’s main roads. Drivers hit either a reindeer or roe deer 3,443 times.
Four people died as a result of the collisions, while 165 people were injured. Preliminary data from 2009 suggests a slight reduction in elk collisions on 2008, though four people have already lost their lives this year. The number of reindeer and roe deer collisions remains more or less unchanged compared with previous years.
An increasing number of animal-related traffic accidents take place in densely populated areas, into which elks have also been pushed by development in recent years. Last year more than 500 deer were hit in low-speed areas with limits of 40–60 kilometres per hour, and reindeer and roe deer, in particular, appear to be moving in more built-up and intensely farmed parts of the country. The danger of colliding with these deer is largest in southwestern Finland, though their habitat seems to be constantly expanding.
STT
Veli-Matti Peltola - HT
Matthew Parry - HT |
