Warning to all drivers about little-known animal rule – £5,000 fine | UK | News

Millions of drivers are at risk of £5,000 fines, demerit points and even prison time as animal encounters on the road increase, new research has revealed. As spring approaches and the number of animals on the road increases, new research from dashcam company Nextbase has revealed that almost half (49%) of UK drivers do not know which animals they are legally required to report to the police if they hit them on the road.

The survey of 2,001 adults in the UK found that more than half (56%) of drivers noticed a significant increase in animal activity on the roads during spring and summer, but awareness of the law and good driver behavior have failed to keep pace, leaving millions at risk of committing major traffic offenses. Under the Road Traffic Act 1998, drivers are legally required to report collisions with dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys and mules to the police. Failure to do so could result in a £5,000 fine, demerit points or even imprisonment.

But the results revealed widespread confusion when asked which animals should legally be reported if shot. The following percentage of respondents said they were unaware that they were required to report hitting these animals within 24 hours: pig (75%), sheep (56%), dog (42%) and horse (37%).

Perhaps most surprisingly, more than a tenth (13%) of drivers admitted they were unaware they were required to report if they had hit an animal. But the information gap also extends to how drivers react in the moment. When asked what they would do if an animal suddenly appeared on the road at 40 miles per hour, nearly 1 in 4 (24%) said they would swerve to avoid the animal; This dramatically increases the risk of a serious accident.

Generation X drivers (ages 45 to 60) appear to be most at risk; 28% say they would swerve to avoid; This is much more than other generations. Even more surprising, 9% of drivers over the age of 80 said they would continue driving if they saw an animal on the road.

The danger doesn’t just come from animals outside the car. As spring weather warms up, wasps emerge in full force. When asked what they would do if a wasp flew into their vehicle on the highway, only 35% said they could slow down and pull over safely; The correct answer left almost two-thirds (65%) of drivers in a vulnerable situation.

Almost a third (29%) said they would ignore it and continue driving, while 18% said they would try to get him out of the car without stopping. This creates a significant risk of distracted driving and can even result in careless driving charges, hefty fines and demerit points.

Nextbase research also found that drivers are not complacent. When asked what would concern them most about hitting an animal, 42% said injuring or killing the animal was the biggest concern by a significant margin.

Bryn Brooker, Head of Road Safety at Nextbase, said: “Spring and summer bring a real increase in animal encounters on the UK’s roads, from deer and foxes foraging in the heat, to young birds learning to fly and swarms of insects that can appear from nowhere. “This research shows us that most drivers care deeply about animals but don’t know what the law requires them to do.

“The most dangerous instinct is to swerve. Whether it’s a horse running onto the road or a wasp in a car, sudden steering corrections in speed are far more likely to cause a serious accident than the animal itself. The correct response in almost every situation is the same: stay calm, brake hard in a straight line, and pull over when safe.”

Nextbase’s survey was a nationally representative survey conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,001 consumers in the UK.