Barcelona leads the ranking of accidents with wild animals

Accidents involving animals are a real problem in Catalonia, with a particular impact in the province of Barcelona, according to a study by the Ponle Freno opinion studies center and the AXA Foundation Catalonia ranks second nationally for accidents caused by collisions with wild animals. In fact, three of the four Catalan provinces (Barcelona, Lleida, and Girona) are among the top ten provinces with the highest accident rates caused by animal collisions, with Barcelona leading the ranking after registering a 50% increase in animal accidents in the province throughout 2025. Lleida drops to fourth position in the ranking, with a 3.5% decrease compared to the previous year, but Girona records a 20.7% increase in animal accidents, which moves it up to eighth position in the ranking. The rest of the black spots for hunting-related accidents are mainly located in Galicia (Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña) and other points in the northern Iberian Peninsula, such as Asturias, León, Burgos, and Huesca.Wild boars in autumn, the most critical moment of the year

67% of accidents involving a collision with an animal in Catalonia during 2025 were related to wild boars, far behind roe deer (13%) and other animals, such as unleashed dogs or deer, among others. The mortality rate in accidents recorded with wild animals is particularly worrying in Barcelona and Lleida, as 15% of the accidents recorded in the province of Barcelona and 11% of those in Lleida resulted in fatalities. The presence of wild boars has definitely become a real problem that not only affects epidemics and diseases like swine fever, but also causes a road safety problem and an unacceptable death toll for the different administrations.The study also concludes that the moments of highest incidence and risk of collision with wild animals in Catalonia are weekends – especially Sunday evenings and early Monday mornings – and the months of October and November. Prevention tips

It should be said that it is indeed complicated to avoid collisions with wild animals when they invade the road, but we remind you of some concrete and simple measures that can help you minimize the damage from these collisions, or even avoid them.First and foremost, anticipation is key to being able to foresee these accidents, paying attention to the sections signposted for the alert of animal presence, and generally when driving – especially at dusk and at night – on local or regional roads in rural areas, adapting speed and paying special attention to the presence of elements on the roadside. The most critical times are early evening and early morning, and if you spot a wild animal, it is advisable to honk the horn to scare it away and clear the road.Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to maintain the vehicle's lighting system in good condition (cleaning of headlights and condition of bulbs) and the windshield to have optimal visibility during dark hours and to adjust speed to have more reaction time. Finally, it is important to avoid sudden steering movements; if we are driving, it may be preferable to brake sharply and hit an animal head-on than to go off the road or invade the oncoming lane and collide with another vehicle.If despite everything we have an accident, it is necessary to immediately call the emergency number 112 and signal the area to avoid new impacts with other vehicles, using the mandatory visibility systems. However, it is advisable not to get too close to a wild boar after a collision, especially if the animal is still alive and badly injured, as it can be dangerous for humans.