What should you do if you hit a kangaroo while driving?

Kangaroos are large and powerful animals, with the biggest species reaching 2 metres in height and weighing up to 90 kilograms. They can cover almost 8 metres in a single leap and attain high speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour over short distances. Colliding with an animal as strong and fast as a kangaroo can cause different types of damage to your car, depending on your speed at the time of the collision and how you hit the roo.

Hitting a kangaroo while driving slowly could just mean a smashed headlight, but a head-on collision could lead to a crushed bumper with possible internal damage. The damage to life and property can be worse if you swerve the car to avoid hitting the animal and then hit trees or other passers-by.

Depending on your car’s speed and how quickly you hit the brakes, a surprise encounter with a roo could seriously damage your car and even kill the animal. Even if it's just a brush, it's natural to panic, which could cloud your judgement of what to do next.

Familiarising yourself with the steps to take on hitting an animal by mistake will help you keep calm if you end up in such a situation and possibly save the animal’s life.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to what you should do if you end up hitting a kangaroo or any other animal by mistake:

1. Pull over if it is safe to stop.
2. Check that everyone in the car is safe, and call 000 if anyone needs medical help.
3. Check if the kangaroo is alive or needs any assistance. It's important to approach the roo with caution, as an animal in distress can act in unexpected ways.
4. If the roo isn't breathing, check its pouch for a joey. If you don’t find one, you could try to move the animal off the road to ensure the safety of other motorists.
5. If the kangaroo isn't breathing, but you find a joey in the pouch, seek instructions from a wildlife organisation, such as WIRES, on how to remove it and keep it safe until help is at hand. Marking the location of the accident and taking some pictures of the mum can help the rescue organisation identify the species, which could greatly help in the rehabilitation of the joey.
6. If the kangaroo is still alive, don't attempt to move it. Instead, call the injured wildlife hotline at 1300 596 457 or contact the nearest wildlife organisation you know of. If you’re in a rural area without mobile connectivity or reception, you could consider going to the nearest police station to notify them of the incident.
7. If it’s safe to do so, take some pictures of the accident site and the damage to your car (and any other vehicles involved).
8. Get the name, registration and contact details of anybody else involved in the accident.

If you happen to hit a kangaroo (or any other animal) accidentally, your car insurer will not find you at fault unless you were drunk or driving irresponsibly.

That said, your future premiums may increase after you make a claim for hitting an animal. This is because the insurer can't seek compensation from another party and may want to pass on the costs to you. You could also lose any no-claims bonus you had saved up. 

It may be worth weighing up the cost of repairs to your vehicle and the potential increase in your premiums before you file a claim after an accident. If the damage to the car is minimal, you may feel it’s better to pay for the repairs from your pocket in some cases. 

If you decide to make a claim, the process for claiming on your insurance after hitting an animal is similar to that for any other road accident.

According to AAMI, kangaroos are the most common animal hit on many roads around Australia. Changing weather conditions have further increased the risk of kangaroos wandering on roads in search of fresh food.

However, you are not likely to see kangaroos on the roads throughout the day. Roos are typically the most active at dawn and dusk, which is when most of the hits happen. Avoiding kangaroo hotspots during these hours can reduce your risk of hitting a roo to an extent. 

Kangaroos usually move around in groups. If you spot a kangaroo in the distance, it could be worth slowing down your vehicle as you can expect some more of these muscular marsupials in the vicinity. Be cautious of signage indicating animals are around and to ‘please drive slowly’, so you may have a better chance of avoiding a collision. 

If a kangaroo hops in front of your car, it's advisable to brake in a straight line rather than swerving, which could lead you to hit the trees or a passer-by. Swerving the car to avoid the roo after you brake in a straight line can give you better control of the vehicle and a chance to judge the direction in which the roo will head. 

It’s also worth checking if your insurance coverage includes animal damage, especially if you are planning to drive in outback or rural areas. If your cover isn’t adequate, you may want to compare insurance deals to upgrade your cover.