Pennsylvania motorists who want to avoid getting into a car accident can take some solace from a recent Washington Post story: It’s not always a good idea to swerve when an animal crosses your path.

The Post story quotes law enforcement officials as saying that it is best for motorists to not swerve out of the way of passing squirrels, rabbits or even cats and dogs if they don’t first have the opportunity to check their surrounding traffic.

The reason for this is simple: By swerving to avoid a squirrel, motorists might inadvertently collide with another driver. This, in turn, could cause a serious accident resulting in thousands of dollars in damages. Our Butler car accident attorneys know that these accidents can cause serious injuries or fatalities.

Of course, no one wants to injure an animal darting across a side street or highway. And the Post story does say that motorists who are sure that swerving won’t cause a motor vehicle accident should swerve out of the way of these animals. The problems happen when motorists instinctively swerve without first checking on surrounding traffic conditions.

The story says that motorists should hit an animal if it’s smaller than their hood and they don’t have time to check surrounding traffic. If the animal stands taller than the car’s hood, motorists should take steps to avoid it. Even in some of these circumstances it might be safer to hit the animal, police told the Post.

The Butler personal injury lawyers at our law firm know that it’s not easy for motorists to train themselves to avoid swerving around animals. But those motorists who do so, might well prevent serious accidents. They might even prevent a death.

Source: The Washington Post, “Do you brake for animals? Some advice for drivers on when and whether to swerve,” Associated Press, Jan. 10, 2012