A leading insurance company has identified Dubbo, Mudgee and Orange as among the five most animal collision-prone areas in NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NRMA Insurance said Dubbo and Mudgee had the highest cases of animal collisions across NSW in 2017.
Dubbo saw 197 cases of animal collisions and Mudgee witnessed 143 such accidents in 2017.
Both towns registered a sharp increase in animals-related road accidents over the previous two years.
Dubbo recorded 151 collisions in 2015 and 164 in 2016, whereas Mudgee saw 123 cases in 2015 and 98 in 2016.
READ ALSO
An NRMA spokesperson said the animal collision cases usually go up in the months of June, July and August.
Of the total 12,212 animal collision cases recorded by NRMA Insurance in NSW in 2017, almost half (5916) were registered in these three months.
Similarly, 11,081 road accidents involving animals took place in 2016 and more than half (6032) were in the winter months.
“In winter, animals are on the move looking for food at sunrise and sunset and combined with cooler weather conditions and reduced visibility, the chances of hitting an animal are more likely,” the spokesperson said.
“Wildlife is unpredictable and can appear out of nowhere, so it’s important to slow down and be aware of your environment.”
The spokesperson said kangaroos, followed by dogs, wombats, cattle and cats, were mostly responsible for road accidents.
Overall, there was a 20 per cent increase in accidents in the Central West last year.
The accidents figures could be much higher in NSW and Central West as the data was supplied by one of the six insurance companies which are authorised to issue a green slip in the state.
The other two accident area hot spots in NSW were Goulburn and Muswellbrook, which recorded 123 and 118 accidents respectively in 2017.
Orange was at the fifth position with 115 cases in 2017, 89 in 2016 and 94 in 2015.