The Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable invites motorists to be vigilant when travelling, especially in early autumn. The months of October and November are when the danger of hitting an animal is greatest.

Signage is already in place to inform road users of the presence of large wildlife on the territory. In addition, anti-collision fences and wildlife crossings have been installed at various locations throughout the province.

Despite these preventive measures, the risk of collision remains high, and driver vigilance remains the best protection against this type of accident, throughout the network.

The Ministry would like to remind you of the following safety tips:

- Be extra careful during the periods of the day when the danger of hitting an animal is considered greatest, i.e. dawn and dusk. This is even truer in autumn, when the presence of large animals near roads is heightened;

- Slow down immediately if you suspect deer on the roadside. Nervous and unpredictable, these animals can jump onto the road very quickly;

- Use your brakes repeatedly to alert following drivers to the presence of deer.
Never make a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a deer at the last moment. The result could be a much more serious accident.In most cases, when a collision seems imminent, it's best to slow down and brake gradually.

In Quebec, between 2020 and 2022, an average of 6,952 road accidents involving large wildlife occurred annually. Accidents involving white-tailed deer topped the list, followed by moose, caribou and black bear.

According to data for the period 2020-2022, the annual average number of deer collisions is 6,347. Moose, bear and caribou are involved in an average of 605 collisions, for a grand total of 6,952 wildlife accidents.