According to CarAccidents.com, there are approximately 1.5 million automobile accidents each year that involve a motor vehicle and a deer. Of those, there are about 150 fatalities and 10,000 injuries. Driving home from a family outing a couple of nights ago resulted in a near-miss with a deer in the road. There were four deer crossing the road that night. After slamming on the breaks and pumping them for better traction, my truck came to a stop only inches from the deer. The weight of the trailer behind the truck seemed as though it was pushing towards an inevitable accident that luckily was avoided.
Was it just luck that night? It may have been, but having lived in an area where deer migrate each fall and spring has taught some valuable lessons. I’ve been lucky as described on numerous occasions. I have not had a collision with a deer yet. I like to think it is due to some things that I do while driving. On your side, you should also get yourself insured if you are travel to areas that have a high population of deers. Moreover, getting yourself and your vehicle insured will help you in minimizing the damage financially. In order to choose the best insurance policy for yourself, you can consult with baltimore personal injury lawyer that is there to guide you.
Here are some tips for avoiding a car vs. deer collision or accident.
Avoiding Car / Deer Accident Tip #1
One very important factor in avoiding an accident between a car and a deer is to know when you are driving in an area that is occupied by deer. This knowledge is key to implementing the other tips that will be mentioned. Once a deer is spotted whether it is dead on the side of the road or living, take note. You are in deer habitat and there will be others nearby. This is especially true of mountainous and rural areas, although there is plenty of urban deer also. If you see deer by a road that you travel often be sure to remember the road so that whenever driving on it you can use the driving tips in this article. I have seen deer in the area of my near miss on several occasions and was actively searching for deer while driving.
Avoiding Car / Deer Accident Tip #2
This tip for avoiding a collision with a deer is a “no-brainer”. When you are driving in an area known to be a habitat for deer, slow down: especially when driving at night. Deer are extremely difficult to see at night. If driving too fast, there will not be time to slow the car down once a deer is spotted.
Avoiding Car / Deer Accident Tip #3
Because deer are so difficult to see at night, train your mind to look for things that don’t necessarily match the definition your mind has for the shape of a deer. The eyes of a deer will reflect the light from a car’s headlights. Roads will often have reflective markers that from a distance can look like the eyes of a deer at night. You will need to pay close attention to determine if the reflection is a road marker or a deer. The road markers will be uniformly spaced. Watch for a reflection that seems out of place. Another thing to watch for is any illuminated patch of the deer. At times it will appear as though you’ve seen a ghost floating in the air just above the ground. This has been the case when I have seen moving deer that happen to catch a few rays from my headlamps.
Avoiding Car / Deer Accident Tip #4
Many deer that are hit in a car/deer collision is running across the road. It is rare that a deer will be just standing in the middle of the road directly in front of a vehicle’s headlights. There is no feed or shelter on a paved road. They will typically be moving from one side over to the other. While driving scan the sides of the road for movement. At night, drive with headlights turned to bright. This will illuminate the sides of the highway more than normal headlights. If any movement is noticed slow down immediately. Even if you are not sure that something moved. You feel a lot better having slowed for nothing, than wishing you would have hit the brakes but didn’t. I have avoided many deer accidents by noticing movement at the side of the road and slowing to a near stop. Most of the time, you won’t realize that the movement is from a deer until you drive up and pass right next to it. Remember to turn your brights off for oncoming traffic.
Avoiding Car / Deer Accident Tip #5
Pay extra close attention when driving during the early spring, and late fall. These are the times of the year when deer are migrating to and from their Winter/Summer habitat. In the early Spring, deer seem to be attracted to the road side. This may be due to the salt form snow removal efforts. The salt melts the snow near the edge of the road first. It allows the new spring grasses to grow near the road side. Deer love these new grasses and also like the salt itself. I hope these tips will help you avoid an accident between your car and a deer.
