Vehicle-Animal Collisions: Bear Encounters Heighten Risks

Editorial

16:56 JST, June 1, 2026

Collisions between vehicles and animals have been occurring one after another. Increases in bear and deer encounters heighten the risk of serious accidents.

The central and local governments should strengthen efforts to provide information to drivers and work to prevent such accidents.

In May, a passenger car collided with a 1-meter-long bear that had run onto the Ban-Etsu Expressway in Bandai, Fukushima Prefecture. Four vehicles, including a large truck following behind the car, ran over the fallen bear one after another. Fortunately, no one was injured, but it could easily have turned into a tragic accident.

In April, a motorcycle overturned on a national highway in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, and the rider died after being hit by a vehicle coming up from behind. It is believed the motorcycle overturned after colliding with a deer.

In recent years, about 50,000 collisions with animals have occurred annually on expressways, and nearly 80,000 on national highways managed by the central government. These figures have been hovering at a high level with the expansion of road networks into mountainous areas.

Animals of various kinds run onto the roads. Medium-sized animals such as tanuki raccoon dogs and foxes account for 50% of collisions with animals on expressways. This is followed by small animals such as birds at 40%, while large animals such as deer and bears account for 4%.

Bears, however, are expanding their habitats, and deer populations are also growing. Drivers should be particularly cautious when driving in mountainous areas where large wild animals reside.

Drivers should strictly observe speed limits and must try to avoid swerving sharply to prevent a rollover when an animal suddenly appears in front of them.

Extra caution is required at night when visibility decreases. By switching headlights to high beam, drivers can illuminate the road further ahead. When there are no vehicles in front or oncoming, drivers should proactively use their high beams to confirm that no animals are ahead.

Since March, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has been providing online maps showing locations on national highways where collisions with animals have occurred. The maps also indicate the time of the accident and the type of animal involved. Anyone can access the data free of charge.

Efforts are also underway to integrate such data with car navigation services. The system would alert drivers with a voice warning when they approach accident-prone spots. It is important to further expand these initiatives.

Installing fences is also necessary in areas where animals frequently appear to prevent them from entering the road. Strengthening countermeasures on prefectural and municipal roads is also essential.

In order to reduce collisions, it is also important for the central and local governments to appropriately manage animal populations, such as by training hunters.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 1, 2026)