Don’t swerve to avoid animals!
A direct collision with a large wild animal is less dangerous for drivers than a risky swerving manoeuvre, according to the Swiss automobile association.
This is the conclusion of experiments by the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) involving a 55-kilogram “crash test deer”.
Tests showed that colliding at 40km/h would result in a buckled bonnet but the driver would be fine. Even at higher speeds there was relatively little risk to those in the car.
Trying to swerve around something on the other hand was much more dangerous for passengers and other road users.
The TCS said that in order to avoid accidents involving wild animals, when driving through deer passes drivers should stick to the speed limit and increase their awareness and readiness to brake.
Every year in Switzerland there are around 20,000 accidents involving large or medium-sized animals, particularly at dusk and at dawn.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.