Bear commandeers Russian highway

Traffic ground to a crawl in Russia’s Tver region after a bear cub decided to start identifying as a small car, and joined the traffic on a busy highway. The bear, who was not licensed to drive, broke through a hole in the fence of the M-11, performed an unsafe merge into traffic, and proceeded to lollop along the road at well below the posted speed limit, often needlessly entering the overtaking lane and further bottlenecking traffic. The bear continued on its journey for approximately four kilometers while traffic, sensing the bear’s inexperience, slowed to match its speed, kept a safe and appropriate distance, and ensured the bear cub could enjoy the freedom of the road. The bear then exited the highway through another hole in the fence, and proceeded to its onward destination. Owing to its non-standard means of joining the highway, it was able to avoid all standard toll fees. Authorities have since patched the hole, although accept they are unlikely to recover the toll fees. Highway operator OSSP have also warned drivers to be careful when behind the wheel, especially if that wheel is behind a bear.