Driver Safety: Deer

While deer hits occur throughout the year, they are most prevalent in the fall and early winter. November is the peak month with nearly three times the average number of accidents. More accidents occur in the fall because:

• The fall deer breeding season - deer are less focused on dangers.
• Deer hunting season - deer are pushed out of their normal protected areas.
• Harvesting of crops - deer are required to travel across more roadways to find food.

Preventing deer hits:

• Use additional caution when traveling in areas where deer are known to live. While we often think of rural areas, suburban areas have plentiful deer populations as well.
• Travel on highways and freeways with larger ditches to increase your ability to see deer and deer fences to restrict deer access.
• Watch for deer during dawn and dusk when they are most likely to be moving and feeding.
• Watch for deer crossing signs and dead deer alongside the road, indicating high deer travel areas.
• Turn your lights on early. Deer eyes reflect in headlights, allowing you to see them sooner.
• If you see one deer, watch for others. Most deer travel in groups and are likely to follow one another across a roadway.
• Slow down so you can better react to a deer jumping onto the roadway.
• Increase your following distance to compensate for a driver in front of you braking when a deer is spotted.
• Do not swerve to avoid a deer hit. Swerving results in collisions with other vehicles and rollovers. Brake firmly when you see a deer in your path but stay in your lane.