What does the data show?
Volvo Car UK analysed the Department for Transport's STATS19 road safety data, published on 25 September 2026. It looked at personal-injury collisions where police recorded an animal in the carriageway as a hazard.
| Year | Collisions | Casualties |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 348 | 439 |
| 2022 | 339 | 452 |
| 2023 | 280 | 360 |
| 2024 | 265 | 347 |
| 2025 | 271 | 341 |
| Total | 1,503 | 1,939 |
The highest months were August (157 collisions), October (151) and November (141). Almost three in ten happened between 7pm and midnight. By region, the South East (306) and South West (226) had the most, together about 35% of the total.
These figures only include crashes where someone was hurt and the police recorded it, so the real number of animal strikes is much higher. The British Deer Society estimates more than 40,000 deer are killed or injured on UK roads each year.
The clock change also affects the evening rush hour: read why crashes between 4pm and 7pm rise by almost a quarter after the clocks go back.
7 checks before you drive in the dark
- Check every light. Walk around the car with the headlights, sidelights, brake lights and indicators on. The Highway Code says lights, indicators, reflectors and number plates must be kept clean and clear.
- Clean the windscreen inside and out. A smeared screen makes glare from oncoming lights much worse. Replace worn wiper blades and top up the screenwash.
- Check your headlight aim. Badly aimed lights dazzle other drivers and light up less of the road. Aim is checked at the MOT, and you can see any past lighting faults in a car's free MOT history.
- Check your tyres. Stopping distances are longer on wet autumn roads. The legal minimum tread for cars is 1.6mm; see our tyre tread depth guide.
- Slow down on unlit roads. Rule 125 of the Highway Code says to reduce speed at night because it is harder to see other road users. Use our stopping distance calculator to see how far you travel before you stop.
- Use full beam, and dip it in time. Use headlights at night on roads without street lights, and dip them for oncoming traffic. Never use lights in a way that dazzles others.
- Watch the verges, especially at dusk and on country roads. Where you see one deer, expect more to follow. Brake firmly in a straight line rather than swerving into oncoming traffic or a ditch.
What to do if you hit an animal
Stop in a safe place, put your hazard lights on and check whether anyone is hurt. By law you must stop if you hit a horse, cattle, donkey, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog. If you do not give your name and address to someone with reasonable grounds to ask, such as the animal's owner, you must report it to the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours.
For wild animals such as deer, call the police if the animal is causing a danger on the road. Do not approach an injured deer, as it can cause serious injury.
Questions drivers ask
When do the clocks go back in 2026?
At 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, when the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time.
How many people are hurt in crashes with animals?
Police recorded 1,939 casualties in 1,503 injury collisions involving an animal on the road in Great Britain from 2021 to 2025, according to Volvo Car UK's analysis of Department for Transport data.
Do I have to report hitting an animal?
You must stop if you hit a horse, cattle, donkey, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog. If you do not give your details to someone with reasonable grounds to ask, you must report it to the police within 24 hours.
When are animal collisions most likely?
In the dark, on rural roads, and in August, October and November. Almost three in ten happen between 7pm and midnight.
Sources
- Volvo Car UK: Analysis reveals nearly 2,000 casualties in animal-related road collisions as clocks go back (22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: When do the clocks change?
- The Highway Code: General rules for all drivers (rules 113 to 125)
- The Highway Code: Annex 6, vehicle maintenance
- Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170
Facts checked against the sources above on 24 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
