By Kim Wesley-Parks, Boston MA.
As the weather turns cooler, the deer tend to avert to their yearly mating rituals which causes them to move much more than in the warmer months of summer, when food is abundant and reproductive activity is not as prevalent. This usually translates into large numbers of car and deer collisions between the months of September to December, which causes a large increase in insurance claims for collision repairs.
The primary reasons that deer move more during these months is that male deer go through a phase called the “rut”. During this time, males will undergo a reproductive ritual where they will chase after does that are ready to be bred. Because both males and females are pre-occupied by mother nature, this chase will take deer into areas that they usually try to avoid like populated areas and roadways.
Another reason the deer tend to cover more ground during these months is the onset of hunting seasons. This places people in the woods which causes deer to move swiftly away from the hunters. Again, this activity can push running deer across busy roadways at times.
Prepare yourself for the active deer season with these important tips.
First, make sure you remember that deer will often travel in groups. Sometimes it could be two or three, other times it could be as many as 20 at a time. If you see one deer crossing the road, do not assume the danger has passed. Like lemmings, deer will follow each other across a busy highway one after another and you should ready yourself for the possibility that more deer may burst out of the bushes at any time. Be prepared to slow, and stop if necessary.
Many times a deer will enter the road and then stop at a standstill in wonder and amazement at your vehicle. If this happens, be ready and slow down, and then flash your brights. The flashing may be enough to wake the deer from its stupor and get it moving again.
Often it is difficult to see too far ahead of you at night, even given the range of your headlights and the headlights of oncoming vehicles. Oncoming vehicles can often produce a glare which actually makes it difficult to see what is happening in the oncoming lane. One thing that will tip you off that something is awry is if you see oncoming lights appear to flicker off an on. This occurrence is often due to an animal running past an oncoming vehicle. What you see is actually the animal blocking the other car’s headlights for fractions of a second as it passes. If you see this, beware as there are likely deer (or something else) crossing the road in front of oncoming traffic and that thing could be headed for your lane. Again slow down, and put your bright lights on briefly to expand your field of few, but be careful not to blind oncoming traffic.
Damage from a collision with a deer can be significant depending on the point of impact, speed, and the size of the animal, but there rarely a case where damage from a collision with a deer will exceed the damage caused when a vehicle rolls over, or hits a tree, or collides with another vehicle. These are the things that could happen if you try to swerve to avoid colliding with a deer. If you are forced to make a choice between hitting a deer and swerving abruptly, opt to hold your line, slow as much as you can and brace for impact. This is far safer than risking your life in a more serious collision.
