On 27 October 2024, daylight savings time ends when at 3am clocks are turned back one hour. However, this small change increases the number of collisions with wild animals on Swiss roads, reported SRF.
In 2023, around 20,000 animals were hit on Swiss roads. Swiss motorists are most likely to hit a deer. In 2023, there were 8,282 accidents involving deer. The next most common road wildlife related accident was hitting a red fox (6,035), followed by a badger (3,064), a hare (470), a wild boar (431) and a red deer (378), according to Federal Office for the Environment data.
To reduce the number of wildlife road accidents, police in some Swiss cantons have launched awareness campaigns. The start of a campaign in Schaffhausen was deliberately scheduled for autumn because the time change brings a change in traffic volume, said an official in the canton of Schaffhausen.
After the time change, rush hour traffic increasingly shifts to twilight, the time when wild animals are active and looking for food. This increases the risk of deer, foxes or badgers being hit when they cross roads. In Schaffhausen, the police and hunting and fishing administration have launched a roadside campaign to raise awareness of the dangers posed by wild animals on roads.
Drivers are advised to reduce their speed, especially at warning signs and in places where visibility is limited. Roads through forests bring a higher risk of a collision. If animals are seen near the road, drivers should immediately slow down and dip their headlights.
If an accident occurs, motorists are legally obliged to immediately report it. Failure to do so is a criminal offense. In Switzerland the police emergency number for reporting accidents is 117.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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