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Car
crashes with deer increase in October through December
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[October 11, 2007]
MERIDEN, Conn. -- High season
for car crashes with deer is October through December. Each year,
they account for more than 150 human and nearly 1.5 million deer
fatalities. Experts attribute the problem to the combination of deer
mating and migration habits and shortened daylight hours.
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 "More drivers are on the road at dawn and dusk, the very time of day
when deer are most active," cautioned Ray Palermo, director of
public relations for Response Insurance, a national car insurer. "A
car striking a 200-pound adult deer can not only result in the death
of the deer, but also incur an average of $2,000 in damage to the
vehicle."Palermo suggested a few basic cautions for drivers.
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Scan a wide swath
of the roadside. Slow down when approaching a deer standing near
the side of a road, and be prepared. If startled, the deer can
bolt onto the road and into your path. If necessary, honk your
horn and flash your lights to try to scare it away.
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Be alert for more
deer than you may see at that moment. Where there is one deer,
there are often more nearby.
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In many instances,
it is best not to swerve around the deer, since the deer may
move in the same direction. You may also inadvertently hit
another vehicle or go off onto a dangerous shoulder. Unless
certain of those road factors, it is often best to simply brake
and continue in your lane of traffic.
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Be particularly
careful at dawn and dusk and when driving either over a hill or
around a curve, where visibility is limited. Use your high beams
to give you a greater area of visibility and allow you to see
the deer's eyes sooner.
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Deer whistles or
ultrasonic deer avoidance systems attached to vehicles have
never been proven effective by independent studies and may give
drivers a false sense of security.
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Take deer crossing
signs seriously, particularly those installed specifically for
this time of year. Be particularly cautious in wooded and
agricultural areas where there is little distance between the
road and the woods.
More driver safety information is available at
www.response.com/safety.
[Text from file received from
Response Insurance]
Response Insurance is a direct-to-the-consumer
auto insurer that regularly provides the public with news and
information regarding driver safety and transportation issues. The
company issues safety tips, reports and analyses, and conducts
original research as a public service.
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