Looking Out for Animals

Collisions between vehicles and animals can prove extremely problematic. Often fatal for the animal, sometimes for the vehicle occupants, the damage can also be considerable, and in some circumstances, the vehicle’s insurance could be invalidated, especially if warnings exist, and so it is crucial to heed the signs that warn of the potential presence of animals on the road and act accordingly.

Collisions with animals can happen at any time, but they become more frequent at night, when a natural reduction in the traffic flow can lull the animals into a false sense of security and they wander unknowingly onto the road.

The DGT had already reported that in 2023 alone, up to 35,048 traffic incidents involving animals were recorded in Spain, although it is also acknowledged that the figure is a considerable underestimate as many are not reported.

Now, a pioneering system has been launched, initially by the Servei Catalá de Tránsit (SCT), the Catalan Traffic Service, that further alerts drivers to the presence of animals on the road, using a new technology that employs Artificial Intelligence to analyse in real time the images captured by the thermal cameras that are installed at strategic points on the roads.

Thus, when this new system detects the presence of animals about to invade the roads, new light panels warn drivers, activating at the same time a danger signal and announcing that they must reduce speed on that section of road. Launched in 2024 and in the testing phase, the SCT assures that this mechanism is already capable of identifying animals that are going to invade roads in areas up to 270 metres long and 60 metres wide.

Using interconnected elements that work in a coordinated manner to offer the fastest and most effective response possible, this system employs sensors that use an AI system specifically designed to analyse in real time the video images captured by the installed cameras. For now, the first devices have already been installed on roads where there is a high probability of finding animals because they are areas where fauna usually pass through.

The road that has so far started all the tests of this system in Catalonia is the N-260, on a section located in Cabanelles, in the Alt Empordá region, in Girona. The SCT chose this road because it has recorded a high number of incidents due to the presence of wild animals crossing the roads, especially horses, deer or wild boars. Since the activation of this system on December 13, 2024, the data indicate that a total of 354 animals have been detected crossing the road.

It is worth noting, once again, that drivers must head any warnings, whether dynamic like these, or fixed on signs by the roadside, as failure to do so could be a factor in any subsequent claim.