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Drive Safely

A safe drive saves our wildlife

We are urging drivers to take extra care on the roads this summer. Every year thousands of native animals are killed on Victorian roads.

Wildlife Victoria anticipates a deadly summer of road trauma for native animals, with more holiday makers taking to unfamiliar roads after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

In partnership with TAC and with the pro bono support of major media outlets, our summer campaign reminds motorists that a safe drive saves our wildlife.

How to avoid a collision

  • Stay alert and drive carefully through the home of our wildlife.
  • Be aware that wildlife may be grazing on the roadside.
  • Reduce speed so that you can increase your reaction time.
  • Be especially careful between dusk and dawn. Many of our native animals are out searching for food during this period.
  • Take care when leaving new housing estates that are situated near native habitat.
  • Pay attention to yellow road signs that indicate wildlife in the area.
  • If you see an animal near the road, slow down, and prepare to brake if needed.
  • If you are driving at night in rural areas, use your high beam headlights for better sight, and watch for reflecting eyes.
  • Take it extra slow when road visibility is poor.
  • Be aware of smaller animals such as birds, echidnas, possums and reptiles.

Download our drive safe fact sheet and keep this handy information in your glove box in case of emergency.

What to do if you have a collision

  • If you do have a wildlife collision, pull over to a safe spot, put on your hazard lights and check to make sure everyone in your vehicle is safe.
  • Take note of the street address or nearby landmarks to enable emergency support workers to find the location.
  • If anyone is injured call an ambulance on ‘000’.
  • Telephone Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Response Service on (03) 8400 7300, or you can lodge a report via the Wildlife Victoria website to get help for the animal. Even if the animal appears to be unharmed and has hopped or moved away, it will be injured.
  • Wildlife Victoria’s emergency response service can help. Volunteer rescuers can be dispatched to check the animal’s condition
  • A life-saving pouch check is so important. If the animal is deceased or injured there may be a joey in its pouch that has survived the impact. A joey can survive in a pouch for several days after its mother has died. Alternatively, the joey may have left its mother’s pouch but still be nearby.
  • If the animal is deceased and on the road please take time to move it to the side of the road (if safe to do so). By doing this, you are removing the hazard for other drivers and ensuring that other animals will not be injured while feeding on the carcass.

  

Watch our advertisement

        Safe Drive 

       Download your poster

Drive Safe Poster

 

Our activity

in your area.

Explore the map to see a sample of the animals that needed our help in your local area last month. Each point on this map relates to a single animal, or family of animals, reported to Wildlife Victoria last month.

We get so many calls that not all our cases fit on the map, accordingly, this map is not an exact reflection of all our cases from the month. This map should only be used as an indicative sample.