The Colorado State Patrol is reminding all drivers to be extra careful of wildlife when traveling on I-70. In 2024, animal-involved crashes were the third most common crash factor among all crash types, including fatal, injury, and property damage. 

Troopers investigated 3,573 of these crashes and said that 96% of the crashes caused property damage only to the driver, but in most cases, the wildlife did not survive.

Troopers say they spot the worst crashes with wildlife heading west on I-70 past Lookout Mountain and Evergreen, along with Hwy 74. June and July are calving season months, so animals are spotted more frequently, with the worst times during dusk and dawn. If you don't pay attention, you could hit one and possibly total your car.

For every trip, you should follow these rules. They include:

• Scan roads (or shoulders) for movement, eye shine
• Use bright lights at night when safe and flash lights at oncoming cars to warn of wildlife on the road
• Do not honk at wildlife in/near the road
• Stop for wildlife in the road/use hazard lights
• Don't exceed the speed limit

These tips will protect you and others driving behind you. If you are driving and there is no way for you to stop when an animal pops up, troopers say you sadly have to hit them.

"The best course of action if you can't avoid the animal is to hit that animal," Trooper Hunter Matthews, Colorado State Patrol, said. "It's going to cause less damage to others and lower the chances of injury to you or another party near you."

If you are traveling with a pet, make sure they are restrained. In the event of a crash, you have a seat belt to protect you; the animal does not.

Troopers will continue their partnership with Jeffco to make sure everyone is safe on the roads. 

Wildlife-vehicle collisions can be very costly to drivers. According to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, the insurance industry pays out nearly $1.1 billion yearly in claims for all wildlife collisions nationwide. The average property damage cost of these crashes is estimated at over $3,000.

If you are involved in a crash with an animal, Colorado State Patrol wants you to call 911 just as you would in any other emergency. In addition, if you witness wildlife in distress from possibly being struck on or near the side of the road, call *CSP for the proper resource to be notified and sent to the scene.