Dubbo drivers have the worst roadkill rates in NSW after recording the highest numbers of animal-related insurance claims in the state.
The latest crash data from the NRMA shows Dubbo leading the state by a wide margin, 43 per cent higher than the second worst city of Goulburn.
Warrumbungle resident Tanya O'Donoghue, who rescues injured and orphaned wildlife from the side of the road, said she would typically be caring for about 15 joeys and other animals that had been left for dead on the highways.
Many of her animals are "pinkies", baby kangaroos that have been left to starve after their mothers were killed by passing drivers.
Ms O'Donoghue said it was frustrating to see drivers not slowing down at dawn and dusk or watching out for native wildlife.
"We've got signs up everywhere saying 'kangaroos next 15km', but you can't fix stupid," Ms O'Donoghue said.
"Human beings, we're all about ourselves aren't we? Look what happened to me, look what happened to my car, but no one seems to care about our native wildlife."
She said she was always cautious because she lived in a country area.
"If you're going to choose to live out here, drive to the conditions," she said.
Damage to vehicles
Crowley Automotive owner Patrick Crowley said he frequently had cars coming in to his Dubbo business that had been damaged in wildlife collisions.
He said he had a driver this week with a totally destroyed engine after they hit a kangaroo in their hire car and kept driving.
The radiator burst a leak and coolant spilled onto the road, causing the engine to overheat and a piston to scratch up the insides.
"The stupid part of all this is the people kept driving the car," Mr Crowley said.
"Impact damage with kangaroos is fairly common."
Mr Crowley said kangaroo crashes were more common during times of drought when they were lured to the sides of the roads for grass and water.
The NRMA report found that the Mitchell Highway and the Golden Highway were Dubbo's worst roadkill hotspots.
It found that highways in and out of regional centres had some of the highest roadkill rates.
Dubbo had 689 animal-crash claims from 2017 to 2022, Goulburn had 479, and Mudgee had the third highest at 479.
