Roadkill happens when animals like squirrels run in front of cars, but why do they do this? Why do squirrels run in front of cars?

Squirrels perceive cars as predators, as a survival tactic these small animals run across roads to try to evade said predators. They know that predators cannot change direction as quickly as they can and because of this squirrels will suddenly run at 90 degrees to the direction where the predators is travelling, this translates to running across the road.

Animals often run in front of cars, this happens so often that there is a name for an animal that gets killed by a car on the side of the road: roadkill.

The number of animals that get killed by cars on roads add up to more than a hundred million per year. These animals include squirrels, deer, bears and birds.

Squirrels that run across roads are a danger to themselves and to cars. So the question is, why do squirrels run in front of cars? If you’re a squirrel lover, wildlife enthusiastic, or are simply curious, this article is for you

Why do squirrels run in front of cars?

Squirrels run in front of cars as a survival tactic.

These animals don’t know what a car is, they perceive it as a predator. They view your car as a predator trying to catch them so they try to escape as a survival tactic. 

There is no predator that can run as fast as a car drives at maximum speed, but squirrels do not know this.

Squirrels haven’t adapted to dealing with cars and thus they don’t know that your car is not a predator.

Instinctively, a squirrel will stop and freeze when a predator approaches, predators have a harder time seeing prey that is still.

If the predator does see the squirrel then the squirrel will quickly run away at the last minute in a different direction. Because predators aren’t as agile as squirrels they can’t change the direction as quickly, this gives the squirrel time to get away.

This survival technique works well with predators but does not translate as well when it comes to cars. By the time the squirrel thinks to run away, the car would’ve caught up to it and it and killed it.

This phenomenon happens because squirrels haven’t yet fully adapted to living with people

In addition, the direction that squirrels choose to run in is a result of evolution. In order to evade the predator, squirrels run 90° opposite to the direction that the predators going.

If your car is coming towards a squirrel it will run across the road in front of the car. This results in squirrel deaths 

Squirrels on the road can cause some serious accidents. It’s unfortunate because squirrels and other small animals are more agile and can react quickly but they react in the wrong way.

Will a squirrel survive if struck by a car?

Surprisingly, a squirrel will often survive after being struck by a car.

These small animals do sometimes get crushed and it’s a grisly sight but not always. You can nurse a squirrel back to good health after it’s been hit by a car or it can do it itself and will just do just fine.

When a car hits a squirrel the squirrel is only temporarily shocked or stunned. It will lie on its side or on its back, it may look dead but if you check on it you’ll notice that it’s still breathing and alive.

The squirrel simply needs a few days to recover and get over the shock but it will survive.

Summary 

In summary, squirrels don’t run in front of cars because they like danger, actually, quite the opposite. A squirrel perceives your car as a predator and will be compelled by instinct to run at 90° to the direction of the “predator” ie: your car.

Unfortunately, running at 90 degrees means running across the road and this positions the animal to get hit by your car. Thankfully the squirrel will likely not die after getting hit by a car.

Yes, sometimes the animal will be crushed but generally, the animal will simply suffer from shock, become stunned and lie there for a little bit, then it will recover and go out it’s about its day

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: how do squirrels drink, why do squirrels run across the road, how do squirrels show affection, why do squirrels tease dogs,  how do squirrels move so fast,