To Get to the Other Side: What Truck Drivers Should Do When Animals Cross the Road

By: ClassADrivers.com

It’s a situation that no truck driver wants to be in. The driver is making good time, obeying all the laws, and suddenly a flock of geese crosses the road.

Over the course of 11 hours of driving, truckers can be lulled into a sense of calm when they’re not rushing to hit a deadline.And even the most alert drivers can still be caught by surprise, especially when an unpredictable animal crosses the road.

But do you know what to do?

You essentially have three choices:

– Slam on the brakes and hope to avoid smashing into the geese.

– Attempt to swerve out of the way, possibly hitting cars around you or losing control of your vehicle.

– Or blare your horn and accept the inevitable.

Got your answer? Good. Now, what if we changed the scenario to a deer? Do you still have the same answer?

Let’s go over the best course of action to take in this type of scenario.

Truck vs Goose

Animals are unpredictable. We humans are encroaching on their natural territory, and unfortunately, they just don’t understand things like paved roads and an 80,000 pound semi-truck.

For truck drivers, these occurrences happen more often than we’d like. That said, they don’t happen so often that there is an official protocol truckers are supposed to follow.

There is a general consensus though, and hitting the doomed animal is the best option. Both for your own safety, the safety of those around you, and financially.

So in our flock of geese scenario, a trucker should do the following:

  • Gradually slow in a safe manner.
  • Prepare to hit the animal.
  • Come to a complete stop when you can.
  • Check for damage to your vehicle.
  • See if the carcass is a potential hazard for other drivers.
  • Call your trucking company to let them know.
  • Your company may need to inform the police to file a report for insurance claims.

In general, hitting an animal on the road is considered to be an unpreventable accident.

While nobody wants to kill an animal, making the right choice can be the difference between damage to your fender and a destroyed trailer with risk to your own life.

Of course, geese are just one type of animal. Sometimes, the animal is much bigger like a moose. And you may need to try to avoid the collision.

When Hitting a Flock of Geese Goes Viral

Earlier this month, a woman West Fargo was driving in her car near 32nd Avenue and 45th Street. As she neared the intersection, she noticed a flock of geese crossing the road.

She passed the geese but continued to observe them in her rear view mirror. Then she saw the semi-truck behind her run them over.

The woman accused the truck driver of laughing as he hit the geese. And because this is 2019, she let everyone know about it on Facebook.

And then the story made the news.

There were no other eyewitnesses, and hopefully, the truck driver was not actually laughing. But ultimately, the right decision was made. That driver may have even saved the woman’s life by not trying any risky maneuvers to avoid the geese.