The months of May and June see a significant increase in wildlife collisions in the Southern Interior, prompting safety warnings from government officials and non-profit organizations in British Columbia.

ICBC reports a trending increase in wildlife collisions overall in the province. The reported 12,519 crashes in 2024 is well over the decade’s yearly average of 11,600.

Trace Acres is the program director of Road Safety at Work. He says if you look deeper into the numbers, the percentage in the region is quite staggering.

“Almost half of all reported claims in the province are in the Southern interior region. So that’s Okanagan, Thompson, Kootenay, West Kootenay, East Kootenay. It’s a problem in the Interior even more so than it’s a problem in the Lower Mainland.”

The driving dangers of snow and ice have mostly passed, but Acres urges drivers not to get complacent with the milder weather.

“Drivers who have now emerged from winter and have been on alert because of winter conditions for the last little while maybe tend to let their guard down a little bit at this time of the year, because the days are longer, the conditions are better, so you don’t really think anything is going to go wrong, but in fact, this is the time of the year when those unpredictable animals could jump out in front of you and cause a fair bit of damage.”

Acres also offered some practical tips for staying safe where there may be animals on the road.

“Watching your speed, keeping your speed slower, especially in areas where there’s likely to be more Wildlife, are like around Parks, wooded areas, lakes and streams. Make sure that you’re watching and scanning all the time for the road ahead and the sides of the roads as well. If you see animals in the road in front of you, obviously, you want to slow down. Also, recommend that you put on your four-way flashers so that you warn other vehicles that there’s something in the road ahead.”

It’s also important to remember that many animals travel in herds. Acres warns that deer and elk are most active at dawn and dusk and are crossing roads in search of food, new habitat and to care for their young.

“If you see an animal on the road, let’s say it’s a deer. One thing you should be aware of is that where there’s one, there are probably more”

ICBC reports that of the 12,519 wildlife collisions in 2024, 75 per cent were with deer.

The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recommends reducing your speed until you are well past the area where you saw the animal. Other tips from the ministry include scanning ditches for movement and for the reflection of eyes from your headlights. Drivers are also encouraged to use high beams to see animals sooner.

Acres warns that swerving to avoid an animal is often not the safest option.

“If you’re in a situation where you cannot avoid a strike with the vehicle, sometimes the reaction is to swerve to try to miss the animal. That’s a situation you really have to be careful of, because if you swerve into the oncoming lane and there’s oncoming traffic. You’re going to put yourself in more danger than you would have if you had just struck the animal.”
“The instinct would be to swerve and miss the animal. And if you can do that in a way that is safe to do so, that may be the best outcome. But if you are swerving into the oncoming lane and there’s oncoming traffic, then you’re just putting yourself at even greater risk than if you unfortunately had to hit the animal.”

If a collision results in injuries, significant vehicle damage or an animal carcass on the road, drivers should contact the RCMP and their insurance provider.

If an animal is injured but there are no injuries to people and no significant damage to the vehicle, drivers should contact a conservation officer.

Animal carcasses on provincial highways can also be reported through the DriveBC website.

Acres says drivers should also remain cautious within city limits.

“In places like Nelson Kelowna, Castlegar, Rossland, you’re going to see animals within the city boundaries, and so it may seem nice, it may seem cute that they’re there, but you still have to use all the same precautions. Make sure that you’re keeping your speed down so that you can react quickly if one of them jumps out in the road in front of you, always scanning, always looking…”

He says the overarching message is to stay aware of your surroundings.

“I would say that the biggest mistake is being complacent and being distracted, allowing yourself to be distracted when you need to keep your focus on the road in front of you.”