What is the correct procedure if you encounter an animal in the roadway?

When encountering an animal in the roadway, the appropriate action is to steer around it if it is safe to do so. This means assessing the situation quickly to determine if swerving can be done without endangering yourself or other drivers. It is crucial to maintain control of your vehicle and to ensure that you do not collide with other vehicles or obstacles while avoiding the animal.

Choosing to steer around the animal allows for a proactive response that can prevent accidents, injuries to both the driver and the animal, and disruptions to traffic flow. This approach also shows consideration for the animal's safety, as stopping abruptly or accelerating might create confusion or panic, leading the animal to behave unpredictably.

Other options, such as accelerating to move past or ignoring the situation, could increase the risk of a collision. Stopping and waiting could not be practical in all scenarios, especially if there are vehicles behind you that may not be aware of the animal in the road, potentially leading to rear-end collisions.