Australia’s Wildlife Toll: What Aussies See, Do, and Don’t Know on Our Roads

Australia’s roads are shared with some very special locals – from kangaroos and koalas to snakes and possums – and for many of us it’s a regular sighting on urban and rural roads. We conducted a national survey* to find out how often Aussies see wildlife on the road, whether we know what to do if an animal appears in the headlights, and if we truly understand what’s driving Australia’s wildlife accident toll. Here's the picture – plus some practical steps to help you stay safe on wildlife-prone roads. 

Wildlife watch 

• Wildlife sightings are regular – around 2 in 5 (39%) of Aussies see animals on the road at least weekly. 
• Collisions are more common than you think – nearly 1 in 3 (29%) have had an incident with wildlife causing either minor or significant damage to their vehicle. 
• The number of near misses is alarming – over 1 in 3 (37%) have had a near miss with an animal on the road. 
  • 40% of men have had near misses and 35% have had collisions 
  • 34% of women have had near misses and 23% have had collisions 

This shows that wildlife crossing the road isn’t a one-time hazard, it’s a part of regular driving in Australia. While collision rates differ between men and women, wildlife encounters don’t discriminate – knowing what to do in an on-road wildlife encounter can make a big difference. 

Do Aussies know what to do when wildlife is on the road? 

Almost half of Aussies (47%) feel confident they’d know what to do if an animal appears on the road because of their previous experience or education.  
 
However, confidence gaps remain: 

• 34% are only somewhat confident – they have some idea but not sure what the safest thing to do is 
• 14% are not confident and unsure what to do 
• 5% even say they haven’t considered it before 

Breaking it down further – men report being more confident (53%) based on experience or education, compared to women (40%). 

So, what would Aussies do in the moment? 

• 82% of Aussies would reduce speed 
• 69% stay alert  
• 47% would brake or pull over  
• 33% maintain their lane and avoid swerving  
• 18% say they’d swerve  
• and 22% would report the wildlife 

While it’s promising to see that majority of Aussies would reduce speed and stay alert, it’s an important safety reminder to never swerve if an animal appears on the road, as this could cause you to come into the path of an oncoming vehicle or hit a tree.  
 
It may be instinct to swerve, but the safest thing to do is slow down, stay alert and use your headlights or horn to safely pass around wildlife or encourage it to move off the road¹. 

What Aussies do to avoid collisions with wildlife 

Over three-quarters (77%) of Aussies say they slow down or become more cautious in wildlife-prone areas. 

Other prevention behaviours include: 

• 37% plan trips to avoid riskier times or areas i.e. dusk or dawn 
• 29% ensure adequate insurance coverage 
• 20% have vehicle modifications (e.g. bull bars or lights) 

However, 9% of Aussies say they don’t feel they need to worry about wildlife when they drive. While seeing wildlife in urban areas may seem less likely, it pays to be aware and know what to do in the event wildlife – or a domesticated animal – crosses the road in front of your vehicle. 

Aussies’ perceptions on high wildlife accident rates on Australian roads 

Whether you’re driving on the outskirts of suburbia or on a rural road, wild animals are always nearby in Australia, and chances are you’ve seen a dead animal or may have been involved in a collision yourself before.  

Aussies have a range of different beliefs on what causes the wildlife toll, which can be broken down into two main categories – drivers’ fault or infrastructure. 

Drivers’ fault 

Driver inattention tops the list with 61% of Aussies saying this is a major cause for high roadkill rates. 40% say a high number of collisions are caused by people driving at unsafe times like at night, dawn or dusk – which shows Aussies largely put the responsibility on drivers to reduce the wildlife toll. 

Infrastructure 

Another significant portion put the onus on how roads are planned with 57% saying high-speed roads through wildlife habitats is a major cause for high roadkill rates. 45% say the lack of wildlife fences or crossings is a big factor and 30% highlight a lack of signage as a cause for the wildlife toll.  

 Aussies place the responsibility on other factors that are less controllable, including increased rural traffic (43%) and climate or seasonal changes affecting wildlife movement (32%). 

Takeaway – we can’t change where kangaroos live – but we can change how we drive. Attention, speed choice and timing are big factors for safer wildlife outcomes. 

The animals that Aussies are most conscious of while driving 

If you’ve ever yelled “Look, COWS!” from the passenger seat, you’ll know how fun of a road trip pastime it can be – but it’s a whole different story when the cows slip past the fence line and end up near a road. 

Aside from cows, there are several animals Aussies are wary of when driving through wildlife-prone areas – topping the list is kangaroos and wallabies (88%), followed by: 

• Livestock (36%)  
• Domesticated animals (33%)  
• Koalas (33%)   
• Wombats (33%) 

According to Youi claims data** 69% of animal-related claims mention kangaroos/wallabies, 10% mention livestock and 7% mention domesticated animals, followed by: 

• 6% other or unidentified animals 
• 3% deer 
• 2% wombats 
• 1% birds of prey or swooping birds 
• 1% feral pigs 
• 1% emus/cassowaries Breaking down the data further by state shows importance of understanding the wildlife around you. While kangaroos still top the list for all states (87%-91%), each state is more wary of certain wildlife over other states: 
• 41% of NSW and 40% of VIC are wary of wombats (vs 16% of other states).  
• 46% of Queenslanders are wary of koalas (vs 7%-36% of other states).  
• 31% of Victorians are wary of deer (vs 13%-25% of other states).  
• 26% of Queenslanders are wary of snakes (vs 11%-24% of other states).  
• 28% of WA are way of emus/cassowaries (vs 9%-13% of other states).  
• and 41% of Queenslanders are wary of domesticated animals (vs 29%-36% of other states).  

Wildlife collisions are often ambiguous events – 30% of Aussies who have made a claim suggest at least 2 animals they could have hit, suggesting crashes happen in low-visibility conditions, at speed or in moments of shock.  

No matter where you’re driving or what animal you may come across, it’s important to be wary of all wildlife because different animals behave differently. Kangaroos can change direction quickly and travel in groups²; livestock may be slower to cross the road³ and wombat’s low profile can make them hard to spot⁴. Adjust your speed and scan accordingly. 

How does wildlife wariness, driving behaviours and perceptions compare for each generation? 

• Gen Z see wildlife the most often – 58% at least weekly – and are the most confident (51%) about knowing what to do if encountering an animal on the road based on previous experience or education. 
• Millennials report having the highest collision rate (32%) involving minor or significant damage, while Gen Z report having the most near misses (42%). 
• Baby Boomers see wildlife the least – 27% at least weekly – and are the least confident when it comes to knowing what to do (39%). 

When it comes to the causes of high wildlife toll rates, different ages have different views – older Aussies are more likely to say drivers’ habits are the major cause for high roadkill rates and younger Aussies lean more towards infrastructure.  

Baby Boomers say the major cause is: 

• Lack of driver attention or care – 66% 
• High-speed roads through wildlife habitats – 62% 
• Driving at unsafe times – 58% 

Gen Z say the major cause is: 

• Lack of driver attention or care – 60% 
• Lack of wildlife crossings or fencing – 53% 
• High speed roads through wildlife habitats – 52% 

The wildlife toll mapped by states 

It’s no surprise that all wildlife encounters are different, especially depending on where you live – so how do the states compare? 

Queenslanders and Western Australians encounter wildlife on the roads the most frequently – with 47% and 39% encountering animals on the road at least once a week respectively, compared to only around 1 in 3 of other states.  

Unsurprisingly, this is reflected in collision rates with wildlife: 

• Western Australians (41%) and Queenslanders (40%) have had the most near misses with wildlife on the road. 
• 37% of Western Australians have collided with an animal causing minor or significant damage, followed by 28% of Queenslanders. However, New South Walers (28%) and Victorians (27%) aren’t far behind. 

When it comes to believing what causes high wildlife toll rates, the states differ: 

• Queenslanders are more likely to believe lack of driver attention is the highest cause for roadkill rates compared to Western Australians (69% vs 55%), who tend to believe its high-speeds through wildlife-prone areas (60%).  
• Queenslanders (48%) and Victorians (44%) blame increased rural traffic more than other states (38%-42%).  
• New South Walers blame driving at unsafe times (41%) more than other states (30%-39%).  

These state-by-state differences show that the wildlife toll varies and is exacerbated by different factors and driving behaviours, serving as an important reminder for Aussie drivers to be wary of wildlife on the road in any state. 

Animals aren’t the only thing in our blind spot – Aussies aren’t sure on their insurance coverage 

Unfortunately, wildlife collisions are the reality of driving on Australian roads and no matter how confident you are in your ability to avoid collisions with wildlife on the road, it’s important to stay vigilant with your insurance coverage. 

Only 33% of Aussies say they know that their insurance covers wildlife collisions, 21% know that they don’t have coverage and almost half (46%) aren’t sure about their coverage. These insurance gaps widen even further: 

• 40% of men say they know their insurance covers them for wildlife collisions, compared to only 26% of women – a striking gap. 
• Gen Z are most likely to say they know they have insurance coverage (38%), compared to only 27% of Gen X and 31% of Baby Boomers. 
• Baby Boomers rank the highest when it comes to uncertainty, with 6 in 10 unsure about their insurance coverage compared to other generation. 
• At least 1 in 5 (18%-24%) of all state’s residents say they don’t have insurance coverage for wildlife collisions – a concerning figure given at least 3 in 10 (27%-37%) residents of all states have had a minor or significant collision with wildlife. 
• Half (50%) of Queenslanders are unsure about their coverage, compared to other states (44%-49%). 

Clearing it up – tips to avoid colliding with an animal on the road 

While you can’t control if an animal appears on the road, there are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of a wildlife collision. 

1. Obey speed limits – follow the enforced speed limits in wildlife zones, slow down or reduce speeds through poorly lit roads⁵. 
2. Stay alert – when driving at dawn or dusk – when wildlife is most active – keep your eyes on the road and scan the sides for movement⁵. 
3. Use your horn or headlights – using bright headlights can increase your visibility and allow more time to react, while alerting animals you are coming. Using your horn can encourage animals to move away from the road¹. 
4. Know local wildlife – knowing what animals you’re likely to encounter or when breeding seasons are, can help you stay alert¹. 
5. Don’t swerve – if you do encounter an animal on the road, never swerve. If you unfortunately hit an animal, always consider the safety of yourself and your passengers first and call 000 if anyone needs immediate assistance or the animal is causing a traffic hazard⁶. 

Check out Youi’s guide on what to do if you hit an animal while driving, for specific steps for different wildlife and more tips on wildlife wariness. 

* Disclaimer: Data for the Wildlife Toll study was sourced from a survey conducted by Dynata from 30 January 2026 to 2 February 2026, involving 1,002 individuals aged 18 years old and above, from all states and territories within Australia. Some percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Survey results have not been independently verified by Youi and may not be representative of the general population. Youi makes no representation or warranty of any kind of the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, or completeness of the data and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind suffered as a result of the use of or reliance on the data. Individual experiences may vary. 

**Sourced from Youi claims data based on January 2016 to January 2026.  

¹ Source: RSPCA Qld – Avoiding Wildlife on the Road, October 2024 
² Source: Right2Drive – How To Avoid Collisions With Kangaroos and Other Wild Animals, May 2023 
³ Source: Main Roads Western Australia – Straying livestock on roads, 2025 
⁴ Source: Aussie Animals – Australian Wildlife Road Safety Guide Prevent Animal Collisions, January 2026 
⁵ Source: NSW Environment and Heritage – Six tips for avoiding collisions with koalas and other native animals on the road, December 2024 
⁶ Source: Drive – ‘We’ve lost many lives’: Should you swerve to avoid wildlife?, October 2025