Why Squirrels Always Seem to Jump Out in Front of Our Cars

Okay, I'm going to start with a sad statistic. We drivers kill more than 40 million squirrels annually according to the website A to Z Animals. Truly an upsetting experience for the majority of us as the last thing any driver wants to do is kill wildlife while heading to work or running errands.

That thump we feel and hear always makes our hearts jump. Even prior most of us will gasp and hit the brakes to avoid hitting these furry rodents just trying to live life.

The ironic part of all of this is that according to A to Z Animals, squirrels jump out in front of us because they use zigzagging random movements to avoid their predators like raptors or foxes.

Once a predator has committed to a strike, they find it very hard to change direction. By zigzagging, the squirrel can avoid being caught, and freezing on the spot is part of their tactics. Squirrels may view cars as predators and try zigzagging to stay safe.

Here's why that stopping and freezing in the middle of the road part makes sense. According to A to Z Animals when it comes to those big birds above or foxes this ‘stop, dodge, and dart' movement confuses their predators, and since they're not as nimble as the squirrel, this fuzzy little wildlife animal escapes easily.

However, where this fantastic, life-saving tactic doesn't work is when a squirrel mistakes the movement of a car as a predator.

Here are a couple of tips to do the best you can to avoid hitting a squirrel without slamming on the brakes or swerving, possibly causing an accident.

While defensive driving should be a must always, according to Squirrel University they are most active during the fall when they're running around collecting food for the winter and then looking for places to hide it.

Also, like most wildlife, dawn and dusk are the time of day they tend to roam around the most not only in the autumn but spring and summer.