Wildlife Strikes and Driving Lights Around Hobart

This guide is for Hobart drivers who travel at dusk, after dark or early in the morning on the city's bush fringes and rural roads. It covers how to see wildlife sooner, what Tasmania's rules say about driving lights and light bars, how to wire them properly, and what to check on your car after a strike.

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Why wildlife is a real issue on Hobart roads

You don't have to drive far from the CBD to share the road with animals. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) says almost 2,000 animals were logged through its Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app in a single year. More than half were pademelons and Bennett's wallabies. Brushtail possums, Tasmanian devils and common wombats were also high on the list.

The risk is highest between dusk and dawn. In Hobart that window takes in a lot of normal driving in the cooler months. Around the shortest day the sun sets at about 4:40pm, so the drive home from work is often in the dark. Roads that run from the suburbs into bush and farmland, such as the Channel Highway beyond Kingston, the Tasman Highway out past Cambridge and the Midland Highway north of Bridgewater, are where you're most likely to meet animals.

Driving habits come first

No light will stop a wallaby jumping out in front of you. Speed is the biggest factor. NRE Tas asks drivers to slow down from dusk to dawn, and notes that even a small cut in speed helps. A few km/h less gives you more distance to stop once you see an animal.

Scan the verges as well as the road ahead, because that's where animals wait before they cross. Watch for the reflection of eyes in your headlights. Take extra care on wet nights: NRE Tas points out that devils are hard to see against black bitumen, especially when it's wet. Most road safety advice is to brake firmly in a straight line rather than swerve, because swerving into oncoming traffic or a tree is often worse than the strike itself. NRE Tas has more tips on its sharing the road with wildlife page.

Get your standard headlights right

Before you spend money on extra lights, make sure the ones you have are working well. Old halogen globes dim with age, and yellowed or cloudy lenses scatter light where you don't need it. Headlights that are aimed too low cut your view of the road, and lights aimed too high dazzle other drivers. A boot full of gear or a heavy load in a ute tray can lift the beam, so check aim with the car loaded the way you normally drive it.

Replacing a tired globe is often a simple job. Our guide on how to change a headlight globe walks you through it. Be careful with cheap LED conversion globes. The Department of State Growth says LED replacement globes marked "off road use only" or "not ADR approved" aren't suitable for use on public roads.

Tasmanian rules for driving lights and light bars

The Department of State Growth's Additional Lights information bulletin (September 2020) sets out the main points for extra lights in Tasmania. In summary, at the time of writing:

• A maximum of four additional lights may be fitted to the front of a vehicle. If an LED light bar has sections that switch on separately, each section counts as one light.
• Driving lights must project white light forward and be wired so they switch on and off with your high beam.
• Roof mounting isn't banned, but the lights must sit in the front half of the vehicle.
• Lights must be mounted symmetrically either side of the centre line and must not block your view of the road.
• They must not be a dangerous protrusion, though they can sit within the frame of a bull bar.
• They must not dazzle or cause discomfort, including by glare reflected off the bonnet, a bull bar or an aerial bracket.
• Driving lights and high beam must not be used within 200 metres of a vehicle you're following or an oncoming vehicle.

Check the current rules before you buy

Rules change. The bulletin was written under the earlier 2014 vehicle standards, and Tasmania has since made the Vehicle and Traffic (Vehicle Standards) Regulations 2024. Read the latest version on the State Growth vehicle information bulletins page, and contact the Department's vehicle standards team if your setup is unusual. Fog lights are a separate category and must only be used in fog or other hazardous weather that reduces visibility, so don't treat them as extra spotlights for wildlife.

Choosing and wiring driving lights

For wildlife, a beam with good spread is often more useful than a long pencil beam. Animals sit on the verges, and a wider pattern lights the edges of the road where they wait. Many drivers pair a spot beam with a spread beam, or choose a light bar with a combination pattern. Whatever you pick, aim it after fitting so it doesn't throw glare back off the bonnet.

Driving lights draw real current, so they need a relay, a fuse near the power source, and cable that suits the load and length of the run. Many lights come with a harness that triggers the relay from the high beam circuit, which helps you meet the rule above. See how to wire a 12V relay. On newer cars, tapping into the headlight wiring can upset the body control system, so use a harness or adaptor made for your vehicle, or have an auto electrician do it.

After a strike: the animal and your car

If you hit an animal, stop only when it's safe, turn on your hazard lights and keep clear of traffic. NRE Tas notes that injured animals may be treatable and that female marsupials should be checked for pouch young, which can often be saved. Its wildlife page lists who to call for help with injured animals.

Even a small hit can damage more than the bumper. Check these before you drive on, and again in daylight:

• Headlights, indicators and fog lights: look for cracked housings, broken mounts and moisture getting in.
• Wiring behind the bumper: plugs for lights, parking sensors and horns can be pulled loose or crushed.
• Driver assist sensors: radar and camera units for adaptive cruise and emergency braking often sit in the grille or bumper and may need checking or recalibration after a knock.
• Warning lights on the dash: a new light after a strike usually points to a damaged sensor or plug. Our guide on dashboard warning lights explains what to do.
• Radiator and coolant: a leak or a rising temperature gauge means stop and get help.

Getting lights fitted or checked

If you're adding driving lights or repairing damage after a strike, an auto electrician can wire the lights through a proper relay and check they meet Tasmanian rules. Drivers who commute out to the Channel can start with our Kingston page, Eastern Shore drivers can try Cambridge, and those heading north can look at Bridgewater.

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Questions Hobart drivers ask

Are LED light bars legal in Tasmania?

They can be, if they meet the rules. State Growth's Additional Lights bulletin allows up to four extra front lights, with each separately switched section of a light bar counting as one. They must switch with high beam, be symmetrical, sit in the front half of the vehicle and not cause glare. Check the current bulletin and regulations with the Department of State Growth before fitting one.

Can I mount driving lights on my roof in Tasmania?

State Growth's bulletin says there's no Tasmanian rule banning roof-mounted driving lights, but they must be in the front half of the vehicle and must not cause discomfort or dazzle, including glare reflected off the bonnet. Roof lights can bounce light off the bonnet easily, so aim them carefully. Check the current rules before you fit them.

Should I swerve to miss a wallaby?

General road safety advice is to brake firmly in a straight line rather than swerve. Swerving can put you into oncoming traffic, a ditch or a tree, which is usually more dangerous than hitting a small animal. The best protection is driving slower between dusk and dawn, so you have time to stop when you see an animal near the road.

What should I check on my car after hitting an animal?

Check all lights for cracks and loose mounts, look behind the bumper for pulled or crushed wiring plugs, and watch for new dashboard warning lights. Radar and camera sensors in the grille or bumper may need checking after a knock. If you see coolant leaking or the temperature gauge rising, stop driving and get help.

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