Source: Aftenposten English Web Desk
Norwegian motorists hit about 3,000 four-legged creatures per year and the 'king of the forest' is the most damaging victim.
Each autumn moose stories proliferate in the Norwegian media as the hunting season begins and the animals make a variety of headlines. A typical case is the Adresseavisen report of motorist Mona Austvik, who suddenly found her car smashed and a moose calf sprawled across her windshield.
"I have always been on the watch for moose since there are so many in the area we live, but I never dreamed that it would happen as quickly as it did," Austvik told Adresseavisen.
Even though the sudden accident 'only' involved a calf, her car suffered NOK 50,000 (USD 7,665) in damage, and the collision resulted in the animal being put down.
Norway's insurers pay out about NOK 100 million (USD 15.3 million) a year for animal-car collisions, most of them involving game - moose and roe deer.
"Such collisions often occur without driver negligence," If Insurance information chief Emma Vennesland told Adresseavisen.
Vennesland said that hitting a moose often causes both serious damage and injury. If policy demands car-wildlife accidents being reported to both police and wildlife authorities, also to ensure that the animals meet a humane end.
Local wildlife authorities said that such accidents were arguably the leading traffic safety problem in South Trøndelag County.
