A Wildlife Management Database according to the latest available statistics, in 2022 more than 7,400 big game died as a result of collisions with vehicles in Hungary, practically the same number as the year before. – revealed in the announcement of the Hungarian Association of Independent Insurance Bargainers
In recent weeks, the number of news reports on wildlife accidents has increased again, which is related to the changing behavior of animals during the mating season. In order to prevent damage, extra precautions are definitely justified during this period. In compensating for the damages of wildlife accidents that occur, comprehensive casco and additional insurance for wildlife damage can help motorists who have been in the area.
Although there is no significant change from year to year, in the longer term it is increasing as a trend, the number of wildlife incidents has almost doubled in twenty years.
More and more wildlife, more and more cars
This unfavorable trend is due both to the continuous expansion of the game population and the vehicle fleet. Among large game, vehicles collide with deer in most cases (about 5,800 such cases were recorded in the game management database in 2022), but there is also a significant number of incidents when deer (nearly 1,200 cases) and wild boars were hit (409 cases). More than 9,000 more accidents were also registered with small game (rabbit, pheasant, partridge), fortunately in these cases the vehicles usually suffered minor damage.
Following the amendment of the Wildlife Management Act last July, the driver of the car is responsible for collisions with wild animals in almost all cases, and if the wild animal is killed, he must reimburse the value of the animal.
How has the law changed?
The new paragraph is actually an interpretative provision, the essence of which is that the hunting company is not liable if the game appears outside the inhabited area on a public road, highway, highway or in the interior of the settlement due to a change of location resulting from its lifestyle, usual feeding and breeding behavior.
According to the National Hungarian Hunting Protection Association and the National Hungarian Hunting Chamber, this does not mean anything new in practice, it merely raised the judicial practice to the legal level, and does not mean a change in the assessment of game kills during a possible compensation lawsuit.
The driver is almost always responsible
The responsibility of the hunting companies can be determined primarily if the game appears on the road during hunting or driving, or if a feeder or drinker for the game is installed too close to the road (within 200 meters).
The current version of the law also states that an expressway must be operated in such a way that wild animals cannot access it. As a result, the responsibility of the operator of the expressway can be established in connection with a wildlife accident on an expressway.
“However, the majority of wild-type accidents do not occur on expressways, and in such cases the motorist has to bear the damage to the vehicle himself,” points out Lajos Papp, president of the FBAMSZ. – Since the average value of such damages usually already reaches the million level, the appropriate insurance cover plays a special role.
This can be a casco contract that covers breakage damage, in addition, additional wild damage insurance can be taken out with several insurance companies in addition to the mandatory insurance. The mandatory insurance itself does not provide protection for one’s own damage, as it only compensates the innocent victims involved in the event of an accident.”
How do we prevent trouble?
According to the National Hungarian Hunting Protection Association, a significant number of accidents can be prevented if drivers keep the following in mind:
- Don’t just drive on the road section marked with a wild animal danger sign with extra attention while driving!
- Slow down on road sections with poor visibility or in poor visibility conditions!
- If you see a deer running in front of you, be sure to expect another one to follow! Slow down, maybe honk!
- If it is unavoidable to hit the animal, apply the emergency brake, do not pull the steering wheel! If they drift into the oncoming lane or veer off the road, an even more serious accident can result.
Hitting a wild animal is considered a road accident, so if it happens, you must definitely call the police. The organization authorized to hunt in the given area – typically a hunting association – must also be notified, and the police usually take care of this as well.
Source: www.vezess.hu
