Don’t drive over our furry friends.
Not many people think about road accidents involving animals. Most of these accidents happen on quiet rural roads so are perhaps not seen 
by so many people on driving lessons. If you are mainly a city type person there are dangers you need to watch out for on country roads where animals are free to roam around.
Sheep and deer are the most common animals to be involved in accidents. It’s not hitting the animal that causes the accident most of the time. It’s when a driver swerves to avoid the animal that crashes occur. The deer may just walk away unharmed. During lambing season you may see new signs put up to warn you of the presence of animals. People herding animals will do so mainly during the day as it would be way too dangerous at night.
The vast majority of people will drive mainly in the towns and cities. Accidents involving animals will therefore seem obscure and not really worth thinking about. Motorways can sometimes have accidents involving animals as they run next to fields where animals escape and go walkabout. Horses have been seen running on the motorway bringing traffic to a halt on rare occasions.
Accidents that involve animals in the city environment are usually caused by pets not kept properly under control. This can be a problem for older drivers. If you see someone walking a dog on the pavement which isn’t secured on a lead then slow down and be prepared in case it runs into the road. I can tell you it’s a horrible feeling when you run over someone’s cat as it runs out straight from under a parked car and leaves you no time to stop. Looking ahead in between parked cars and underneath cars in the distance will give you time to take action and avoid a last second swerve.
Look out for animals on driving lessons.
The urban fox is becoming increasingly common and there are no shortage of dead foxes that have been hit by cars along the dual carriageway. As vehicle speeds are higher on these roads swerving could be lethal so looking along the verge for any movement is important.
I drove on a narrow country lane near some horse stables during an advanced test which was a bit of an eye opener. I brought the car to a halt as a young rider lost control of her horse. If I had not stopped in good time the consequences could have been serious. Look through the gaps in trees and bushes on bends to get the early view.
Danger from animals can also come from inside the car so make sure your pets are kept properly restrained and not allowed loose in the car. A dog sticking it’s head out of the window from the front passenger seat may look cute but is probably not such a good idea. Stones and other road debris can be thrown up by the wheels of other vehicles and hit the dog causing it to panic. As well as being distracting there can be real danger such as a cat I carried many years ago crawling under my feet around the brake pedal. I should have kept it restrained in a proper carry box, and you should carry your pets properly too.