Photo: Contributed - (Flickr user, animaltourism)

November is just around the corner and along with the month of May it shares the distinction of being the most likely month for you to run into wildlife on BC's roads, literally. Eighty percent of wildlife collisions in this province involve deer and occur between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm. However, moose, elk, bear and sheep are involved as well.

During 2007 almost six thousand animal collisions were noted in the Wildlife Accident Reporting System, which contains data provided by BC's road maintenance contractors. I suspect that this number is not the entire picture as some animals are able to struggle away from the collision scene and die unnoticed and uncounted.

The human cost is high as well. An average of two humans die annually and there was an estimated bill of about $24 million last year for collision claims and highway clean up expenses.

You may wish to blame the animals, after all they don't know enough to stay out of the way of traffic. However I do wonder about us when I watched a driver pass an oversized sign with flashing yellow lights warning of deer crossing. He was traveling well over the suggested speed as well as being over the posted speed when he collided with a deer that was walking across the highway.

The author is a retired constable with many years of experience in traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit www.drivesmartbc.ca.