Transport Board urges driver attention to wildlife hazards
The arrival of spring has brought with it increased wildlife activity near to, and sometimes on, Estonia's roads.
Drivers must remain alert and cautious at all times, authorities say.
"It is important for all of us to get home safely, and to achieve that, road users must be cautious and watch for animals approaching the road. We must take into account that animals have established movement routes, many of which also cross roadways, so drivers need to be attentive," said Villu Lükk, head of environmental management at the Estonian Transport Administration (Transpordiamet).
"Animal movement is more active than usual before sunrise and after sunset. It is also advisable to be cautious between forest patches and near fields that attract animals with food," Lükk added.
Urmas Salmu, project manager of the Estonian Hunting Society's "Ulukid teel" ("Game on the road," as in game animals – ed.) initiative, stressed larger animals in particular can present a hazard at this time of year.
"Wild animals are most dangerous at dusk, when they begin searching for food and water — unfortunately at a time when they are less distinguishable from the surrounding environment. Road corridors, created by clearing forest, have become more open, and it is precisely there that a roe deer or elk may wait for the right moment to cross. Low light diminishes the ability to distinguish transitions between forest and farmland, although these are often the places where an elk's movement corridor intersects with the road," Salmu noted.
The ungulates have issues with perceiving the movement, speed, and distance of an approaching vehicle, Salmu noted, putting the onus on drivers to be responsible.
"An elk or roe deer sees an approaching vehicle with only one eye, due to the structure of its skull and the herbivore's need to detect danger from the sides and behind, meaning it does not perceive a car with headlights approaching until it is too late.
Watch for the elk warning sign and stay alert, as a deer or elk may cross the road in such places," he went on.
This time of year can often see younger animals, perhaps crossing the road for the first time ever, out and about, as well as other wildlife, small, medium, and large – including hedgehogs, hares, frogs, and more.
Around 20-30 people in Estonia get injured each year as a result of collisions with larger wildlife, and the numbers have remained static for a few years already, thanks in part to the rise in road traffic. According to the 2025 traffic census, the average traffic volume on national roads rose by 4.4 percent over the year. This also accounts for most of the danger zone heat map (link in Estonian) being focused around the main population centers.
The video below of a near miss involving an elk on highway traffic is ample evidence of the need to be vigilant.
The elk warning signs Salmu spoke of are installed on the stretches of road most at risk and must be heeded."Unfortunately, many drivers ignore these warnings, and collisions with wild animals still happen. It is very important that drivers follow warnings and signs and reduce speed when alerted in order to avoid potentially tragic consequences. It should also be remembered that if one wild animal crosses the road, others may follow," Lükk added.
As well as warning signs, wildlife crossings are also installed in places.
For instance, on the Kose–Võõbu four-lane road section in a fairly wild area crossing Harju and Järva county lines, a large-animal detection system alerts road users to wildlife. Animals can cross the highway at three crossing points, and their approach is detected by special sensors. These transmit information to variable message traffic signs, which begin flashing and cut the permitted top speed to 70 km/h.
"If the light on the sign is flashing, it is important to slow down and be extremely attentive. Even if no animal is visible, the sensor has detected one, and you must consider that it may suddenly enter the road," Lükk explained.
Human fatalities from collisions involving elk number in the hundreds annually in the U.S., principally in Alaska – the species is, of course, known as moose in North America.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
