What action should you take if you encounter an animal in the road?

When encountering an animal in the road, the best action is to steer around the animal without swerving. This approach allows you to avoid a collision while maintaining control of your vehicle. Steering smoothly to avoid the animal minimizes the risk of abrupt maneuvers that could lead to losing control or causing an accident. Additionally, it helps ensure that you do not endanger other road users, as swerving can put other vehicles and pedestrians at risk.

Choosing to steer around the animal is based on the understanding that sudden stops or fast maneuvers can create more dangerous situations. The goal is to keep a steady course while ensuring the safety of both the driver and the animal if possible. Maintaining awareness and readiness to react calmly is essential in these scenarios.

Stopping immediately might result in someone driving behind you crashing into your vehicle. Speeding up to pass quickly could increase the risk of hitting the animal or not giving yourself enough time to react. Honking repeatedly is unlikely to scare the animal away and could cause confusion or panic, increasing the potential for dangerous outcomes.