Victoria takes out title of Australia’s most dangerous state for wildlife collisions

A town in central Victoria has taken out the dubious honour of being the most deadly location in the country for wildlife versus motorist collisions.

The central Victorian town of Heathcote is among the most dangerous locations in the country — if you’re a kangaroo

A Victorian town has the dubious honour of being the worst spot in the country for wildlife coming off second best in deadly collisions with motorists.

An analysis of more than 17,000 AAMI animal collision claims across the country between January 1 and December 31, 2022, found the central Victorian town of Heathcote was the No. 1 hotspot for fatal collisions.

Kangaroos were the most likely to be fatally struck by a vehicle, followed by wallabies, dogs, deer and cows.

Rounding out the top five deadliest locations in Victoria were Wallan, Gisborne, Halls Gap and Woodend.

Winter was the deadliest season, with 30 per cent of accidents involving wildlife happening between June and August, more often on evenings and on Saturdays.

If you a roo, or any wildlife for the matter, watch where you hop around Heathcote.

Kristie Newton from Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) said koalas and echidnas also fell victim to fatal collisions with vehicles.

“These types of collisions are particularly detrimental to koala populations, which are in serious decline across the country,” she said.

“Echidna populations are also badly affected by road users but they are very small and don’t often cause damage so do go unreported.”

AAMI’s research revealed that around half of all Australian drivers had collided with a wildlife, yet 61 per cent admit they would dangerously swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting an animal.

Shockingly, one in seven drivers admit they have no clue what they’d do if they were involved in an impact collision with wildlife, or worse – would panic and freeze while behind the wheel.

Road accidents involving wildlife can be costly, with the average cost of an insurance claim between $5500 and $6400.

Kangaroos and wallabies are the most hit wildlife on our nation’s roads

The damage in 14 per cent of claims last year was so bad the vehicle was a write-off

The research showed more than a quarter of accidents happened between 4.30pm and 8pm, with almost a third happening on Saturdays and Sundays.

The data shows animal collisions are twice as likely to happen on rural roads which Ms Newton said is for a few reasons.

“There is more habitat in those regional areas, so there is higher wildlife populations,” she said.

“People are also more likely to be taking longer journeys and be on the road at those high risk times like dusk. We are sharing the road at that time.”

She added rural roads having higher speed limits was also a contributing factor.

Other key insights from AMMI’s research includes the fact that 76 per cent of Australians believe kangaroos are the animals that would cause the most damage to a car if involved in a collision, followed by wombats at 16 per cent.

With the road toll at a significantly high level, Kahl Dwight, AAMI Head of Motor Claims, said being vigilant about various factors such as time of day, visibility and to expect the unexpected is the key to staying safe.

“We encourage drivers to always expect the unexpected and know ahead of time what they should do – which is slow down and brake but avoid swerving so as not to endanger yourself and other drivers. It’s far less dangerous to keep driving and damage your car than swerve to avoid it and collide with another vehicle or tree,” he said

“To avoid crashing with wildlife this winter, use your peripheral vision and be aware of your surroundings. Wildlife is unpredictable and can appear out of nowhere so it’s best to always be on the lookout.”