The company "Latvijas Valsts ceļi" (Latvian state roads, LVC) explains: "The simplest thing is to call 112, because if nothing has happened to your vehicle, you should report the hit animal to the State Forest Service. The easiest way to report this information, is through 112. If the vehicle has been damaged, you have to call the police, and it's 112 again. If you need to receive compensation from the insurers, then you should know that the police must be called."
Different services are responsible for collecting animal carcasses, depending on where the accident occurred. The State Forestry Service suggests, if possible, to report downed animals with the help of the "Mednis" mobile app, because in this way geolocation and coordinates are added to the report, and it is easier to find the place of the incident.
Valters Lūsis, the head of the hunting department of the service, stated: "Either the service checks the fact, or it will send road maintainers or local government representatives who will collect these animal corpses in the local government territory."
Animal carcasses should be removed from the road as soon as possible, otherwise they may cause other accidents.
Jānis Baumanis, chairman of the board of the Latvian Hunters' Union, explained: "Other animals may come and feed on the road. This can cause additional risk."
The downed animal must not be taken away, as it will be considered illegal hunting of game animals, which is punishable by law. Statistics show that collisions with animals are relatively rare, but it is likely that a great number go unreported.
LVC explained why reports about downed animals are important and ultimately are useful for the drivers themselves: "For us, the statistics of the State Forest Service are important because, guided by them, we install road signs "Attention, animals" along national highways."
According to estimates, 60% of collisions with deer are reported. 40% of all accidents occur in the area immediatey around the Latvian capital, Pieriga, where there is relatively high traffic levels but lots of habitats suitable for wild animals. Last year as a whole, 2,000 animal collisions were reported in Latvia, this year, three months before the end of the year, 1,200 collisions have been recorded.
