To fear driving over deer collisions.

[Avoidingthewildlife]

NC
I have been driving for many years but in the last 10 years due to large areas being developed, collisions with wildlife are becoming commonplace.
I have developed a fear of driving in case an animal runs into the road, and yet I continue to drive, hoping that by facing my fear, it will lessen. This doesn't appear to be the case.
I avoid driving at sunrise and sunset, stick to the speed limit, remain vigilant, but somehow, I need to switch my anxiety off.
I no longer enjoy driving.
What tips do you have to avoid animal collisions?
Why do I feel like the only driver who is anxious about this? I want to be like other drivers who tell me they don't consider animals running in the road when planning their journeys.
Is there a foolproof way of driving and avoiding collisions with wildlife?
Do you worry about animals running in the road and how do you manage it?

This is a big bull moose, but you get the idea …

The only advice I can give is where there is one there is usually more. So if a deer crosses in front of you stop and put your hazards on - wives and babies usually follow. Actually at night it's often easier (obviously if you are not going too fast) because their eyes reflect the headlights.

I hit a deer a few years ago, or rather it jumped a hedge and landed on my bonnet. It made a fearful mess of the car (and the deer).

Now I am much more careful. I know where the deer usually cross the roads locally, from woodland to grazing. I am very careful and drive slowly at dawn & dusk. I watch the hedgerows and verges for any sign of movement.

It's all you can do. My worst moment was on the M4 one Friday night, three lanes of speeding traffic, and there was a roe deer standing on the hard shoulder. I couldn't brake, all I could do was pray. Thankfully it turned and disappeared back into the trees.

All our local fast roads have deer fencing now.

I recently had a collision with a dear which caused significant damage to the front wing of my car.

There are lots of dear in my area.

It was a rural road with dear signs so I’d slowed down to 40 and even slower when it hit.
I do slow down to around 50 when driving at dusk, even on a main road as I hate to think what the outcome of a collision at speed would be, with reduced reaction times.

Not much else you can do really except be vigilant.

Kangaroos, emus, cattle, sheep. Before the days of crushable cars, I’ve scraped them all off bonnets and windscreens.

The only thing to do is drive slower, watch your verges and perhaps do an advanced driving course to refresh your braking skills.

I've lived in an area with lots of deer for over 30 years, and drive on unlit rural roads almost daily.

Despite having seen plenty of deer while driving, I've never come close to hitting one and in all that time, I've only ever seen evidence of a deer being hit once (which, oddly, was only just a few miles from Croydon, nowhere near where I live). I don't know anyone who's ever hit one, either (although my friend's son hit a bull that had escaped from a field one night, which wrote his car off).

I always bear in mind that there's rarely just one deer, so when I see one from a distance, I slow right down in case there are more following (and there usually are). The only time I've seen a single one, I rounded a bend and slowed right down as I saw something large in the road. It was a beautiful stag, with massive antlers, and he just stood there until I stopped approx 10 feet from him, then stared at me for a few moments before he strolled off. It was a fantastic experience, but I was very glad I hadn't been bombing along that stretch at 60.