Motor Expo 2026

Driving fast and an animal runs in front of you, what will you do?

A. Panic, don't know what to do 

B. Can't brake, decide to hit it

C. Brake hard, steady the steering wheel. If the road is clear, try to swerve.

All 3 answers and emergency situations can happen in any case because drivers may have different control or driving skills Therefore,"mindfulness" is key when driving. Many people encountering such emergency situations often brake and swerve as a primary reaction, whether swerving consciously or choosing to collide because they can't stop in time. This relates entirely to decision-making. Many people panic and can't decide what to do when a critical situation occurs, leading to accidents that shouldn't happen, or turning a minor incident into a major one. So, try to be mindful and make a firm decision. Let's look at the basic principles (we don't know how much we can control in a real situation, but it's always good to study them.

How fast are you going? Emergency: Animal runs in front of your car. What to consider before making a decision is the speed you are traveling at that moment, as well as the current situation, such as whether it's raining or if you're in a residential area. If you're driving at high speed and there's no oncoming traffic, the decision should be to brake. However, if you can't slow down in time, you might have to decide to hit it to prevent the car from losing control. 

What if you're driving slowly? Try to avoid it by swerving, but if the area has heavy traffic, another lane has oncoming cars, or the road is wet and slippery, especially on a curve, and a dog runs in front of your car, you should not decide to brake. You must hit it because the car might lose control and become unmanageable. You yourself could be injured or killed. If it's a large animal, you should not honk the horn, as honking can startle the animal and it might run towards you and harm you. 

Read related article: 2 Emergency Braking Methods