Motorists should be wary of native wildlife while driving between dusk and dawn.
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Researchers from the University of NSW suggest that animal collisions play a greater role in accidents than people believe.
Accidents related to the presence of an animal are often under-reported while drivers often swerve to miss animals only to hit obstacles such as trees, poles or other vehicles.
RACV general manager of motor insurance Mark Geraghty said drivers should stay alert.
“If you see wildlife on the road and a collision is unavoidable, please do not try to steer to the left or the right,” he said.
““When driving on all roads, we encourage drivers to be alert and reduce speed, drive in accordance with conditions and scan the roadside for wildlife.
“A 10 per cent reduction in speed leads to a 20 per cent reduction in collisions.”
In 2016, Wildlife Victoria received more than 6000 reports of seriously injured animals due to vehicle collisions.
![CAREFUL: Drivers are urged to watch for wildlife on the roads. CAREFUL: Drivers are urged to watch for wildlife on the roads.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dNmjTCUWGCi8W4CsChEdGZ/0039a129-9326-48b1-bb87-49c47812e74f.jpg/r1069_350_4247_2365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)