Such incidents are sad for all involved. PIC Erna Osk Gudnadottir
W e have written about this before but important things bear repeating. Take serious care on roads in Iceland in springtime. This the time when sheeps, much more numerous than people here, are let out to play and enjoy nature for the summer with their newborn lambs. The joy of freedom though is often cut way too short by idiotic driving.
It is always sad when somebody or something dies on the roads. According to a farmer that took the above picture the sheep just stood still for 24 hours and refused to move from its two dead lambs after them being hit and killed by a car. No doubt in our mind that sheep, like all living things, have feelings of some sort and tragedy must affect those as it does us humans. Well over 600 lambs and sheep die each summer on Icelandic roads.
But take note of the road. This is a very typical country road in Iceland. A gravel road with very limited view ahead and absolutely minimal options to avoid collision if driving very fast. Go left and you´re in a ditch and go right and you´ll end up in a river after a considerable roll down a small hill.
Now, perhaps you are the kind of person that thinks little of animals but even for you there´s a lesson here. Team Total Iceland has arrived at the scene of a car accident where two foreign people died after swerving off the road to avoid hitting an animal. And do not think hitting a horse or reindeer at high speeds could not kill you too.
There is another upside of driving slowly. You see more of this stunning country. A lot of beautiful spots here are not found in any guidebooks and those you´ll only find by taking it easy on the road.
By the way, should you be so unlucky as to hit and kill sheep or animals on your travel here do let the nearest farmer or cops know about it. Leaving dead lambs like trash on the road after killing them and speeding away says a whole lot about that individual.
