Half of all deer-vehicle accidents happen in the Fall. How to avoid a collision.
Photo: Dennis Hamilton / Flickr (CC BY 2.0) / modified crop and lighting Mark James Bernardo
Virginia’s deer population is on the move. During the months from October to December, the risk of a vehicle collision more than doubles. Fall is mating season for White-tail deer, and for what it’s worth, young females are known to flee areas heavily populated with males, so there’s a marked increase in road crossings. All romance aside, the timing couldn’t be worse. With the rise in deer mobility coinciding with the end of Daylight Saving on November 3rd --many of our daily commutes are pushed into the dusk hours when deer are most active. It’s no surprise that November is the most likely single month for drivers to have an unwanted and decidedly unromantic encounter. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, VDGIF, estimates an average of 3 people are killed and 450 injured every year in deer-vehicle accidents, and about half of those occur during the last three months of the calendar year. Here’s what they advise drivers to do to minimize collisions.
Photo: State Farm / Flickr (CC BY 2.0) / modified crop and lighting Mark James Bernardo
How to avoid most deer-strikes.
Be especially careful at dawn and dusk. This time of day is when deer are most active. Unfortunately, after the fall time change, these are also the times of day that most people commute to and from work.
If you see a deer crossing the road up ahead, slow down immediately and continue to drive slowly until you are past the point where the deer crossed. Female deer frequently travel in groups and more deer may be following and about to cross.
If you see a VDOT deer crossing warning sign, slow down and be more attentive. It is there for a reason. Deer habitually use particular areas to cross roads, usually crossing between areas of cover. Drivers should slow down when driving through these areas, particularly at dawn and dusk in the fall.
Do not swerve to miss a deer. You should brake and stay in your lane. Losing control of your vehicle, crossing into another lane, hitting an oncoming vehicle, or leaving the road and hitting a tree will almost always result in a more serious accident than hitting a deer.
Also, some evidence indicates that flashing your lights might help, but don’t bet on deer whistles. Researchers from the University of Georgia conducted behavioral experiments that studied the animal’s responses to sounds emitted from moving vehicles and concluded: “wild deer were not deterred by any of the frequencies tested—including “ultrasonic sounds” emitted from bumper-mounted deer whistles that manufacturers claim are audible to animals but not humans.”
If there is an accident
Caution and vigilance go a long way, but often there’s no time to react and an animal is hit. If you’ve been in an accident with a deer or other large animal, move your vehicle to the shoulder, if possible. Call 9-1-1 if you or anyone else has sustained an injury, if another emergency situation is apparent in any way, or if roadway safety has been compromised by the location of an unmovable vehicle.
Few people are aware that when a large animal, deer or bear, has in fact been killed in a vehicle accident, the driver is required by law to report it to a conservation officer or other law enforcement officer in the city or county where it happened. When making this call, be sure to use a non-emergency line.
Photo: Damaged SUV from collision with a deer , State Farm / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Auto insurance and damage to your vehicle
Striking a large animal, such as a deer or bear, can cause a range of damage from minor fender-benders to totaled vehicles. State Farm reports that in a recent 1 year period in Virginia, there were more than 59,000 claims made for collisions with deer, with damage to vehicles averaging more than $4,000. For more on how to be sure you’re adequately covered prior to an incident, and how to navigate an insurance claim after an animal strike, read our blog ‘Taking My Own Accident Advice’.
Can you keep the animal?
OK, It’s not the ideal way to bag game, but this is Virginia. Commonwealth law provides that a driver may keep the animal for their own use, whenever it’s been properly reported, and the attending officer has given the person a possession certificate.
Xxxx & Xxxx specializes in litigation for serious accidents. If you’ve been hurt in an accident and need representation or advice, call us for a free consultation or get in touch here.