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North American roads cover millions of miles of landscape through habitats that vary from desert and grassland to mountain or forest and everything in-between. While we enjoy the freedom of the open road, we are nearly always crossing through the homes of wild creatures which may venture out on the road at the worst time possible.
Follow these tips to avoid a collision with our natural neighbors.
1. Pay Attention - It may seem like the most basic of instructions, but in our tech-crazy world too often we are looking at things other than the road. Don't let a quiet highway lull you into a sense of false security. An animal can wander onto the road at any moment. Keep your eyes alert and watch for movement. When driving between stands of trees or crops like corn, note an animal entering the road may seem to appear out of nowhere, with very little warning.
2. Improve Your Night Sight - Make sure your windshield is clean and clear, especially when night driving. Use your high beam headlight setting when there are no oncoming vehicles and watch for the telltale glow of eyes reflected from your lights. Be extra careful at dawn and dusk when visibility is compromised and wildlife is on the move.
3. Slow Your Roll - Keep your speed under 70mph (110kph) after dark. Going any faster means you are out running your headlights, which means you cannot react fast enough to an obstacle to stop before a collision. During the day, consider slowing down in known habitats or where animal crossings are indicated by road signs. Slowing down may cost you a few minutes, but that's a much smaller cost in time and money than a high-speed collision with an animal.
4. If the Inevitable Happens - If you cannot avoid an animal hit, stay in your lane and hold your brake pedal to the floor. Nearly every car on the road now has anti-lock brakes, which will not only stop you quickly but will allow you to maintain steering control. If you have time, lay on the horn. This can break a light-induced trance in the animal and cause them to run out of harm's way. Swerving to avoid an animal may expose you to a much more dangerous collision with other vehicles or cause you to lose control of your car. Nobody wants to hit an animal but saving your own life and those of your passengers is your first priority.
5. After the Incident - If you strike a small animal it is likely you and your car will be unscathed. Larger animals like deer, elk and alligators are more likely to do serious vehicle damage and can even result in serious injury to vehicle occupants. If you have a collision with an animal do not try to treat the animal. Hurt animals can be very dangerous. If the animal remains alive after the hit, stay in your car and call authorities. They will respond to the incident, file a report, and take care of the animal in the most humane way possible. Regardless of the condition of the animal, most states require you report a large animal hit, and your insurance company will want a police report so do not be tempted just to drive away, even if your car is capable of leaving the scene.
We are lucky to share our roads and our world with an untold number of creatures great and small. A little caution and preparedness can help us get where we are going safely while preserving the lives of the creatures whose homes we drive through every day on our way to work, school and play.
*Tire installment package required for online only. Goodyear Credit Card offers are subject to credit approval. Get up to $100 back by mail-in or online rebate on a qualifying purchase of a set of 4 select Goodyear tires with any form of payment method; plus get an added rebate of up to $100 more when the purchase is made on the Goodyear Credit Card from 4/1/2024 to 6/30/2024.
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Limit one (1) mail-in or online rebate per qualifying purchase, per visit. Limit one (1) rebate form per tire purchase, per envelope. Limit four (4) rebates per individual consumer, per promotion period. Tire rebates are on a set of four select tires. If your vehicle requires six tires, rebates are available on a prorated basis for the two additional tires. The prorated rebate amount, per additional tire, is 25% of the rebate amount listed above. The minimum purchase is a set of four tires, and the maximum purchase is six tires per invoice. Complete purchase must be made on the Goodyear Credit Card to receive maximum rebate offer. Offers available only at authorized participating U.S. Goodyear retailers and websites. Offer valid only for U.S. residents who are individual consumers with mailing addresses in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Offers valid for consumer accounts in good standing. Not valid on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other Goodyear tire rebate offers. Base portion of rebate offered by Goodyear, and bonus portion of rebate offered by Citibank, N.A. The Goodyear Credit Card is issued by Citibank, N.A.
Completed rebate forms must be postmarked or submitted online no later than 7/31/2024. Invoice must have eligible tire name and proof of purchase on Goodyear Credit Card (when applicable) clearly indicated. Online purchases must include copy of the online purchase invoice and the installation invoice from authorized Goodyear retailer. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for Visa Prepaid Card/Virtual Card delivery. Goodyear reserves the right to substitute a check of equal value in lieu of a Visa Prepaid Card at its discretion. For additional questions, or to check the status of your rebate, you may visit www.Goodyear.com/rebates or call the Goodyear Rebate Customer Service at 1-888-683-8724 Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET on Saturday. Fraudulent submissions will not be honored and may be prosecuted. Sponsor is not responsible for noncomplying rebate submissions or for lost, late, illegible, postage-due or undeliverable mail. Noncomplying rebate submissions will not be honored, acknowledged or returned. Void where taxed, restricted or prohibited by law. All decisions made by Goodyear (or its authorized representatives) relating to the validity of any submissions are final and binding. This promotion is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Retain copies of the materials you submit. Additional terms and conditions apply. Ask participating retailer for complete details and rebate form.
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