Your questions answered: Should I speed up to avoid a kangaroo crash?
Kangaroos can cause plenty of chaos on rural roads but there's a right and wrong way to avoid hitting oneMy friend said I should accelerate when I see a kangaroo while driving. The idea is that if a collision is unavoidable, speeding up might prevent the animal from crashing through the windscreen and getting into the cabin with me – either by causing it to pass over the top of my car or behind it. Is this good advice? I don't think it is… – Paul
Answer: Hey Paul, there are no two ways about it, this is bad advice. Kangaroos are the most unpredictable animals that we’ll ever come across while traveling. The best way to minimise your exposure is to heed the basics; Skippy and his kin are most likely to travel at dawn and dusk, so mitigating your speed at these times is the number one way to avoid incidents.
This brings me to your misinformed friend’s advice… I don’t care how skilled a driver they are, attempting to avoid a kangaroo at speed – or indeed by adding more speed – is not only virtually impossible, but incredibly dangerous. I can see why they might think that, but the aim in any kind of emergency is to reduce the speed of impact.
Whether it’s a vehicle slowing dramatically in front of you, an unpredictable object on the road, an oncoming car crossing the central line reducing speed to minimise impact – even if it’s by a handful of km/h – can make a world of difference.
If a kangaroo suddenly appears and impact feels inevitable, slow down as quickly and as safely can. If you can remember to hit the hazard lights, do that as well. There’s a 50/50 chance that Skip will veer away, so focus on staying on the road and slowing down. If the bugger veers the wrong way, your reduced speed will help, even if the animal has leapt into the air.
At the end of the day, cars can be replaced. Don’t endanger your life or the lives of others for the sake of a suicidal marsupial.
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