NSW Ambulance is advising road users to be aware of wildlife while on our roads following two accidents on Tuesday, one of which claimed the life of a man in Claremont Meadows this morning.
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NSW Ambulance Inspector Giles Buchanan said a second man escaped serious injury, after swerving to miss a fox near Rose Valley this morning.
“Two patients sustained minor injuries and were not transported from the scene of an accident at around 5am this morning. Given that one of the patients was on a motorcycle, and the other was in a car that caught fire, the situation could easily have been much worse,” he said.
“It’s not necessarily the initial collision with the animal that causes injuries; paramedics do attend accident scenes where people – especially cyclists or motorcyclists – have taken evasive action and have been ejected, fallen or struck another object as a result of trying to avoid the animal.”
Insp. Buchanan said the accidents often took place where motorists were on roads travelling through habitat areas for wildlife.
“We have a number of reserves, bushland areas and National Parks around Sydney and people need to be aware that they are home to a number of animals that represent potentially serious road hazards.”
NSW Ambulance records indicate there were over 200 incidents involving animals on roads across NSW over the last two years. Around Sydney 38 incidents reportedly involved kangaroos, with a further 146 Kangaroo related incidents in regional areas.
Insp Buchanan advised road users to stay alert and slow down, especially at sunrise and sunset when visibility is decreased and animals tend to be more active.
“Animals tend to water at dawn and dusk and they will often be on the move from wherever they feed to the closest water source.
“Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for them to cross roads as part of their movement at this time of day.”
He said road users should also prepare if they see any sudden movement from the edges of the road and be patient if a vehicle ahead suddenly slows down or stops.
The NSW Centre for Road Safety further advises people to reduce speed when they see animal warning signs; only brake when it is safe to do so; and never swerve – it is safer to hit an animal than swerve and lose control of your vehicle.
If you find injured wildlife, call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or NSW National Parks on 131 555.
