With the end of daylight savings time, and it getting dark earlier, the number of vehicle-wildlife collisions on roads and highways tend to spike up for a little while. California Department of Fish and Wildlife Public Information Officer, Tim Daly, says wildlife can be dangerous and costly for drivers….

click to listen to Tim Daly

In Nevada County, deer and bears are among animals to look out for. Daly says drivers should pay attention to road shoulders, look for movement or reflecting eyes, and be extra alert near streams and rivers. And Daly says you should also avoid communicating with others who aren’t in your vehicle…

click to listen to Tim Daly

And if you see an animal on or near the road, know that others may be following. So be ready to honk your horn. The Department says nearly 400 people were injured in more than two-thousand collisions in 2019 involving wild animals. And the UC Davis Road Ecology Center estimates the total annual cost of such accidents in the state to be about 250-million dollars.