Drivers thanked for slowing down on roads as New Forest animal accidents continue to fall

DRIVERS have been thanked for slowing down on New Forest roads as new figures show animal accidents have continued to fall over the past year.

The total number of animals killed or injured and destroyed was 41 last year, compared with 44 in 2021. The death toll in 2022 included 34 ponies, three pigs, two cows and two donkeys.

A further 19 animals were injured, compared with 15 in 2021.

The reduction has been attributed to the efforts of the multi-agency Animal Accident Reduction Group, which include speed checks and driver education events at key accident hot spots.

Overall the agisters attended 82 incidents in 2022, with 26 occurring in daylight, 13 in twilight and 43 in the dark.

This compared with 103 in 2021.

Despite the numbers dropping there was still concern about the overall number of accidents, with 12 hit-and-runs.

Gilly Jones, from New Forest Roads Awareness, said: “We are pleased at the reduction in incidents that agisters have attended but we are still concerned about the incidents in daylight and twilight.

“The loss of an animal affects the owners – as commoners, we put so much time and effort into our animals who shape the New Forest.”

She added: “From pre-Covid levels the number of accidents reported has almost halved. In 2019 there were 159 incidents with 58 animals dying and another 32 injured.

“We have to see this as a positive and it shows that the work undertaken by the verderers, Forestry England, Hampshire police, New Forest Roads Awareness, Commoners Defence Association, New Forest National Park Authority and New Forest District Council is getting to the majority of drivers and they are driving with more care.”

Head agister Jonathan Gerrelli said he hoped numbers would continue to reduce: “The work done by the Animal Accident Reduction Group has helped hugely with this, but the main thank you must go to the drivers who are crossing the Forest with livestock on their minds.”

Sgt Carl Peverill, of Hampshire police, urged motorists to remember driving conditions throughout the year change, which can have a significant impact on the speed limit, especially during dusk, twilight and hours of darkness.

He said: “Remember, a speed limit is exactly that – a limit, not a target.”

Fresh figures revealed by the verderers showed agister Robert Maton was called to three incidents last week.

The first, on 18th January, was at around 10.30pm on the B3054 at Meadows Cross and injured a chesnut roan.

The following day at 6.45pm in the same location a report was made of an incident involving a dark-coloured pony, but nothing was found.

On 20th January a white Shetland mare was uninjured after an incident on the B3054 at Bull Hill at 9.15pm.