Road traffic accidents involving animals double in just five years in Spain

Transport ·
Latest data shows that the number of accidents involving wild boar rose by 45 per cent in the last twelve months

Alfonso Torices

Madrid

Wednesday, 12 April 2023 | Updated 18/04/2023 09:43h.

Road traffic accidents involving animals are becoming a serious risk for drivers in many areas of Spain. They are no longer simply anecdotal events and on many occasions the impact can cause serious damage to the vehicle and injuries to its occupants. Collisions number in the thousands every year, to the extent that they have doubled in just five years, according to an analysis by the Axa Foundation study centre.

The experts who drew up this report have found that road accidents involving animals have not stopped increasing for a decade, with the sole exception of the lockdown year of the pandemic. These types of accidents, the study authors say, have grown by 147% since they began collecting data in 2013.

The main reason is the huge proliferation of wild boar that invade roads, especially in rural areas, but also on roads close to cities. Collisions with wild pigs account for almost half of all road accidents caused by animals and they are growing rapidly. In the last twelve months alone they increased by 44.4%. The proliferation of the species, the urbanisation of the rural world and the increasing boldness of boars to go out in search of food are all factors in the increased rates.

Two out of three animal impacts involve wild animals. After wild boar, roe deer, in second place, account for almost a quarter of all accidents.

Accidents involving domestic animals (dogs, cats, or livestock herds) have been on the decline in recent times. The first domestic quadruped on this list is the dog, in third place. It is involved in 15.9% of road accidents. In fourth place are deer, with 4.8%, followed by cats, foxes, horses and mules.

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Road traffic accidents involving animals double in just five years in Spain

Transport · Latest data shows that the number of accidents involving wild boar rose by 45 per cent in the last twelve months

Transport ·
Latest data shows that the number of accidents involving wild boar rose by 45 per cent in the last twelve months