Long country drives inevitably mean spotting carcasses of dead roos strewn on roads. This bloody trail is greater warning to drivers than the occasional signage reminding them to avoid kangaroos. Warnings aside, there’s little you can do if one - dazzled by your blinding headlights - takes a suicide leap onto your dashboard.
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It happens all the time. According to the AAMI Crash Index, 36.66 per cent of accidents in the New England region in 2016 involved animals, specifically kangaroos. The second-most prevalent cause of accidents in the region were collisions with stationary objects, like trees or road barriers - probably as a result of swerving to miss killing a kangaroo.
Swedish car manufacturer, Volvo, tried to find a solution to the problem but gave up after Australian marsupials did what no moose dared to do. They randomly jumped around, throwing off the sensors of the self-driving cars. And it was back to the drawing board for Volvo’s team of geniuses.
A three-year study published by Melbourne University found that even Shu roos - electronic kangaroo repellents that promise high-frequency vehicle protection - fail to deter the roos.
Kangaroos may hear the sounds emitted, however this makes no difference to the numbers hit by test vehicles.
The best thing you can do to avoid hitting a roo is to refrain from driving at dawn, dusk and night when these creatures, seem to dart in crazy directions. If you can’t avoid the drive, just proceed carefully and be aware of roos and wallabies that may be camouflaged in roadside vegetation.
Should a kangaroo jump out in front of you, keep calm and don’t swerve, put your foot on the brakes and hold the wheel in as straight a line as possible. Remember, it is better to hit and kill the kangaroo than to end up off the road having a bigger crash.
After the collision, vets at Darwin’s Ark hospital advise that drivers cautiously approach the animal. When doing so, drivers need to ensure that there is no other traffic coming so they don’t become the next victim. Furthermore, roos have strong legs that they are likely to use when distressed. Approaching the animal calmly from behind, drivers are instructed to check kangaroo pouches for joeys that may need to be taken to the nearest animal rescue centre.
Once struck, roos should be moved as road kill may still be a significant obstacle to other cars, especially smaller vehicles.