Wildlife collisions: brake, stay in your lane, then report it

Look far ahead, drive slowly enough to stop within what your headlights show, and treat one animal as a sign of more. The commercial driver's license manual drivers study for the test gives the numbers; we used the Texas edition.

• Scan 12 to 15 seconds ahead. At highway speed that is about a quarter mile. Shift your attention between far and near, and scan both sides of the road.
• Don't out-drive your headlights. Low beams light about 250 feet ahead and high beams about 350 to 500 feet. At 55 mph a truck needs at least 419 feet to stop in ideal conditions, so at night your speed decides whether you can stop for what you see.
• Use high beams when you can. The manual says to use them when it is safe and legal, and not within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle. Keep the cab lights low so you can see out.
• Watch for eye shine, and for the second deer. Missouri DOT advises watching for the reflection of deer eyes in your headlights and staying on guard after you see one, because there are likely more.
• Plan for the season. On rural two-lane routes in October and November, build slower dawn and dusk running into the schedule, so nobody is making up time in the dark.

For the rest of night driving, from glare to drowsiness, see our guide to driving a truck safely at night.

Protect the scene, check on people, inspect the truck before it moves again, and document everything. Our guide to what to do after a truck accident covers crashes with other vehicles; these steps are what an animal strike adds.

Step 1: Stop safely and warn traffic

If you stop on the road or shoulder, turn on the hazard flashers immediately and place your warning devices within 10 minutes, under 49 CFR 392.22: one about 10 feet behind the truck on the traffic side, one 100 feet behind, and one 100 feet ahead. On a divided highway, all three go behind the truck, at about 10, 100, and 200 feet. Within 500 feet of a curve or hilltop, place the device on that side 100 to 500 feet out.

Step 2: Check on people, then call it in

Call police if anyone is hurt, another vehicle is involved, or the truck can't be driven away, and follow your state's crash-reporting law. A police accident report is also what a later preventability review requires. Stay away from an injured animal, and don't try to drag a carcass out of a traffic lane: Missouri DOT tells drivers to call the highway agency instead.

Step 3: Inspect before the truck moves

Animal strikes usually hit the front end: headlights, bumper, grille, radiator, and the hoses and lines behind them. A vehicle likely to cause a crash or breakdown can't be operated under 49 CFR 396.7, and required lamps must work (49 CFR 393.9). With damage, the truck may go only to the nearest place it can be safely repaired, and only if that is less hazardous than leaving it on the highway.

Step 4: Document it and report it

Photograph the truck, the scene, and the road from your approach, and save any dash camera video. Tell dispatch, and list the damage on your driver vehicle inspection report; the carrier must repair it, or certify that repair is unnecessary, before the truck runs again (49 CFR 396.11).

Your own physical damage coverage, if you carry it and it covers the cause. Auto liability pays for harm you cause to others; it does not repair your truck.

Which part of the policy responds decides your deductible. The NAIC's consumer guidance says that on an auto policy, damage from hitting an animal falls under comprehensive coverage, not collision, and that with only collision or liability the insurer won't pay for it. Trucking physical damage is written in different ways, so ask where an animal strike lands on your policy, and what deductible applies, before the fall peak.

A recordable crash also follows you into renewal as part of your loss and safety history, which is one more reason to file the preventability request. See how CSA scores affect truck insurance.