Wild animals in Salzburg: a death on the road every 4.5 hours!

Wild animals in Salzburg: a death on the road every 4.5 hours!

The streets in Salzburg are a dangerous place for wild animals. In the 2024/25 hunting year, a total of 1,903 wild animals died in Salzburg, which means that on average an animal dies on the roads every 4.5 hours. This is a cause for concern and raises questions about the causes of these tragic accidents.

According to a report by SN, the most common animals that fall prey to roads are deer. A total of 36,637 deer were killed across Austria, followed by 16,797 hares and 4,442 pheasants. This situation is particularly explosive because people are repeatedly injured. In 2024, 17 people were injured in wildlife accidents in Salzburg, while 374 injuries were recorded across Austria - the highest number since 2019.

Worrying numbers

What is particularly striking is that most wildlife accidents in Austria occur in the Neusiedl am See district, while the Salzburg area has the highest number of casualties in the state. The species that are often harmed on the roads are not only known for their beauty, but can also cause serious injuries in collisions with vehicles. The danger is particularly high in collisions with deer or deer, which instinctively stop when headlights hit them.

• Im Jagdjahr 2024/25 wurden in Salzburg insgesamt 1.903 Wildtiere getötet.
• Alle 276 Minuten stirbt ein Wildtier auf Salzburgs Straßen.
• 47% der Wildunfälle mit Personenschaden geschehen bei Dunkelheit.
• Über 50% der Wildunfälle sind das Resultat von Unaufmerksamkeit und Ablenkung.

Recommendations for avoiding accidents

To minimize the risk of accidents involving wildlife, there are some simple but important recommendations. Drivers should immediately slow down, turn off their lights and honk several times if they see wildlife on the road. Avoid swerving to avoid dangerous collisions. Almost 40% of accidents involving wildlife occur due to improper speed. The risk of wildlife accidents is particularly increased in autumn, as animals are more active during this time.

The decline in the number of wild animals that lost their lives on the roads in Salzburg compared to the previous year is encouraging, but the situation remains critical. Stakeholders and road safety experts are required to further raise awareness of this issue and take appropriate measures to increase the safety of both wildlife and road users.

Overall, it shows that the challenges of dealing with wild animals on Austrian roads should not be underestimated. The numbers speak for themselves, and it is our responsibility to increase safety for everyone so that, at least on the streets of Salzburg, wild animals do not have to lose their lives all the time. For further information on wildlife accidents in Austria and how to react to them, the SN offers a comprehensive overview, while Krone also reports on current developments.