Cooperative Mutual Insurance Company

News Details

11.10.2009

By Phoebe Sandel, Underwriter, psandel@coopmutual.com

Every year in the U.S., 1.5 million vehicles make an unwelcome contact with deer. Those collisions result in approximately 29,000 human injuries, 200 human and 1.3 million deer fatalities, and $1 billion dollars in property damage.

While deer can cross your path any time of year, harvest and hunting seasons can increase your exposure. Now is an excellent time to review with employees basic practices they can take to avoid becoming a deer/vehicle collision statistic.

Heed the warning signs. Collisions occur most often in prime deer habitat such as forested areas and waterways. The yellow deer warning signs indicate deer territory and the need for extra caution.

Drive at a safe speed. Speeding is especially dangerous when traveling through deer country. Give yourself more time to avoid an animal that suddenly appears on the road. Wildlife experts recommend 55 mph as a suitable speed for wildlife zones in good weather conditions. In difficult driving weather, adjust your speed to the distance you are able to see and react.

Drive defensively. Be prepared to take evasive action, including slowing down quickly, braking suddenly, or dimming blinding headlights.

Keep watch. Actively scan both sides of the road for signs of wildlife. Look on the road sides, shoulders, in ditches, median strips, intersecting roads, and on the road itself. Try to spot signs of movement, flashes of eyes, or body shapes.

Be especially wary at sunset and sunrise. Deer seem to move most in the hours around sunset to midnight and again around dawn. Unfortunately, these are also the hardest times for our eyes to adjust to the changing light.

Drive carefully at night. Use your high beams where possible. Move into the center lane if you are travelling on a three-lane road, or center your vehicle as much as possible if it is a two-lane roadway. Make sure your windshield is clear and clean, and drive under the speed limit.

Watch cars ahead. If you see flashing headlights, hazard or brake lights, hear horns, or see people outside their car, slow down and be ready to stop.

Expect the unexpected. Don't expect deer to react rationally. Blasting horns, flashing lights, and a swerving vehicle can terrify the animal and cause it to dart in front of you. Bucks have even been known to charge a stopped or moving car. And remember, deer travel in herds. If you see one deer, be alert for others.

Know when not to swerve. If you suddenly find a deer in front of your car, brake firmly. Do not swerve or leave your lane. Many accidents are due to colliding with another vehicle in the opposite lane as you try to avoid the animal. Honk your horn when you see a deer near the road. This is the most effective way to let it know a car’s location.

Diminish the impact. If hitting the deer is inevitable, attempt to skim rather than fully impact the animal. Brake firmly, angle the vehicle, and take your foot off the brake as you impact. Releasing the brake will cause a slight lift of the vehicle, hopefully keeping the animal from rising into your windshield.

Take care after a collision. Put your hazard lights on and if you can, direct your headlights onto or as close to the animal as possible. Check passengers for injuries and treat accordingly. Use road flares or triangles if you have them. Avoid going near the animal since fear and pain can cause it to kick or gore you if it is still alive. If the animal blocks the road, attempt to move it only if you are certain that it is dead. Call the police immediately or flag down help, and submit your claims notice to CMIC as soon as possible.

More News