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How To Avoid A Collision With A Deer

You Can Prevent a Deer Collision

As autumn approaches motorists should be reminded that along with the beautiful fall colors this is the season that offers the greatest chance of a collision with deer. Roughly 50 percent of all deer collisions happen in the fall, and in 2008, the Kansas Department of Transportation recorded 9,371 deer-related accidents and 6 people were killed. Nationwide, the typical car crash involving deer causes $2,000 per claim for repairs and injuries, and these crashes kill nearly 100 people each year.

In the fall we see hunters take to the woods in search of deer and in turn move deer from their usual habitat and sometimes onto the highway. Field harvesting activity causes deer to have to travel in search of cover. Construction and development permanently displaces all kinds of wildlife including deer and the end result is that drivers must learn to expect an encounter with deer at any moment.

Defensive driving is the order of the day and speed and control are paramount to avoiding deer strikes. Also, always wear your seat belt. Most people injured or killed in collisions involving deer were not properly retrained. Driving the posted speed limit and using your seat belt are expected of every driver, but there are many other precautions that can minimize the danger as well including the following:

• Be especially watchful at night, as these animals are nocturnal.

• Be extra cautious during the early morning and evening hours (i.e., dusk and dawn) because it is during these low light conditions that not only are deer most active but people’s sight is most limited and their reaction time is slow.

• Be particularly wary when driving through known/posted deer-crossing zones.

• Use your high beams whenever possible as you continually scan the horizon. Your automobile high beams will reflect in the eyes of a deer, causing a greenish-white light, and often these “deer lights” can alert a driver of an animal on the right-of-way several hundred feet in the distance. A few extra seconds might make all the difference for you to avoid an accident.

• Slow down, but don’t swerve. If you see a large animal on the road surface slow down and don’t swerve. This can confuse the animal about where to run. It can also cause you to lose control and run off the road or strike another car, which is generally more dangerous than hitting a deer.

• Stay alert and sober. Deer are erratic and you will need your quickest reactions.

Also, don’t assume deer will be frightened away by the car’s horn or deer whistles. Deer are often unpredictable when faced with headlights, loud horns and fast-moving vehicles. Not only should you expect the deer to cross in front of your vehicle, you should also expect several other deer to cross as these animals travel in herds.

Finally, if you do happen to collide with a deer, you may further endanger yourself by stopping your car to clear the dead animal from the highway. This, of course, depends on the situation. Report the accident as soon as possible and be on your way.

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