Oh deer!

“When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns.” - SNL comedian Jack Handy

About ten years ago as my wife & I were driving home at dusk, a deer ran out of the woods and smack into the side of our car. For a brief moment the deer stared at me with her face against
the driver side window. It was not killed and ran away. The car however was not so lucky. The side panels for the hood and door had to be replaced.

Apparently the deer problem is getting worse. Insurance agency, State Farm, reports that Deer-Vehicle Collision Frequency Jumps 18 Percent In Five Years. The number of cars on the road has grown by 7 percent over the last five years but the number of deer collisions increased over twice that. For the third year in a row, West Virginia tops list with Michigan second for deer impacts. Collisions are more frequent during the deer migration and mating season in October, November and December.

Here’s some advice from State Farm:
· Pay attention to deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
· Deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.
· Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to see deer on the edge of roadways.
· Deer generally travel in herds – if you see one, others may be nearby.
· Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.
· When a deer collision seems inevitable, do not lose control of your car in an attempt to prevent it.

Bottom Line

In New York and western Connecticut, deer are everywhere. I see them grazing alongside high speed roads during my daily commute. Our home is on a deer migration path. They sleep in our backyard and eat our bushes for a few days each year.

While cute, deer can be dangerous. Deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. cause more than 150 fatalities each year. And don’t forget moose, elk, cows and other large mammals. The average property damage cost of each incident was $3,050. Here's a US state map of deer collision risk:
http://www.statefarm.com/_pdf/collision_likelihood_09.pdf

Don’t panic trying to escape an oncoming deer. Hitting a deer is safer than leaving your lane and hitting an oncoming vehicle or a tree.