Drive Safely During “Deer Season”

Safety is always top of mind at Border States. Did you know that over 1.5 million automobile and deer collisions occur every year? The resulting crashes cause an average of 150 fatalities and $3.6 billion in vehicle damage annually.  

January may be the time of the year when white tail deer are most active but one should always be looking out for dangers on the road. Deer can move anytime, day or night, but most activity takes place during the early morning and early evening. Take caution on your daily commute and be aware of deer near roadways.

To help avoid a deer collision, take these preventive measures:

• Slow down on rural roads during peak times, especially when passing through areas marked with a deer-crossing sign.
• Don’t swerve to miss the deer. You can often do more damage by crossing the center line or going off the road as opposed to hitting your brakes and/or hitting the deer.
• Deer travel in groups. When you see one deer, slow down or stop in case there are more to follow.
• The phrase “deer in the headlights” is an accurate description of a common problem. Deer crossing the road often freeze in fear when seeing bright car lights. Try flashing your high to low light beams in an effort to snap them out of the frozen state and possibly clear them out of your way. Flashing your lights has the added benefit of indicating to oncoming traffic that they need to be aware and slow down.

If drivers are cautious and in tune with their surroundings, the chances of a collision can be reduced.