If a Collision Occurs

What Should Drivers Do If They Have A Collision With Wildlife?

After a collision with wildlife, what you should to next depends on the type and condition of the road, the amount of traffic, the type of animal, and the condition of the driver. Always prioritize safety.

Steps to Take After a Collision:

1. Pull off the road.
2. Turn on hazard lights.
3. Illuminate the animal with your head lights.
4. Warn other drivers if there is a carcass on the road which poses a hazard.
5. Carefully approach the animal to determine if it is dead or injured.
6. If it is injured, back off. A wounded animal can be very dangerous. You are not required to put an injured animal out of its misery. Instead call the Conservation Officer Service, in BC use the Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line: 1-877-952-7277
7. You may choose to remove a dead animal from the road so that it does not present a hazard to other drivers. Only remove the animal if it is safe to do so, and you are physically capable of doing so. 
8. Report dead animals to highway maintenance contractors.
9. Inspect your vehicle to see if it safe to continue driving. 

Who to Call after a Wildlife Collision:

• Call the RCMP if there is damage over $1000, any human injuries, or the animal carcass is not safe for you to move and presents an urgent highway safety issue. 
• Call the Conservation Officer Service if there is a an injured animal to report. 
  •  In BC - 1.877.952.7277
  •  In AB - 1.800 642.3800 
• In a National Park, like Jasper, Banff, Kootenay etc., contact the Park Wardens. Even if your vehicle is not damaged, reporting the exact location helps wardens monitor injured animals and recover dead ones. Quick removal prevents other animals from being attracted to the highway. 
• Report vehicle damage to your insurance company.  
• Contact the highway maintenance contractor who is responsible for removing carcasses on provincial highways. You can find out who the contractor in the area is and get their contact info, from this list on gov.bc.ca. Alternatively you can go via the DriveBC website:
  • On your computer or mobile device, go to the DriveBC website and click on “Report a Highway Problem” and then "Highway, Maintenance, and Bridge Problems". The link goes to a map where you can select your location and it will give you the contact information for the highway contractor in your selected area. 

When reporting a wildlife vehicle collision, be ready to provide a clear description of the problem, and as much location information as you can. Knowing where a collision is located on a rural highway can be difficult. Don’t hesitate to call, even if you are not very familiar with the area. You can still provide useful information. 

Think about these details before you call: 

• What is the name of the highway or road that you were you travelling on when the collision took place? 
• What location were you travelling from and where were you headed?
• What direction were you traveling (north, south, east, or west)? 
• What is the closest town to you and in what direction is it?
• What is the last landmark (road junction, store, highway sign, creek, river, rest stop, bridge) that you passed and how far (and in what direction) from that landmark did the collision occur? 

Accurate reporting of the collision location is important so that highway managers can identify areas where wildlife collisions are frequent and then take steps to reduce any hazards located in those areas. 

Note: If the collision involved small domestic animals (dogs or cats) you can contact the BC SPCA hotline at 1-855-622-7722. The BC SPCA does not provide animal control services in all communities in BC, but the Call Centre operators do have access to animal control agency numbers throughout BC or they may be able to provide some assistance over the telephone.