Defensive driving tips to avoid hitting a deer:
— Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise.
— Drive with caution in deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.
— Use high beams at night when there is no oncoming traffic — they will better illuminate the eyes of deer.
— Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
— Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane.
— Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
— Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
— If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. Get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.
— Insurance Information Institute
Fall is here and so are the deer. Hunters across the state are already gearing up ready to take down trophy bucks.
The archery hunting season started Sept. 13 and firearm deer season starts Oct. 18 and all the hunters that I know are champing at the bit to hit the woods. There is a reason why hunting season is in the fall, that’s when the deer really start to come out.
It should come as no surprise that Georgia motorists hit deer more often during hunting season.
According to data by State Farm Insurance, October, November and December are the months when drivers are most likely to hit a deer with their vehicles in Georgia.
““We are going into the mating season for deer and in Georgia the most likely months that a driver will hit a deer is November followed by October and December,” said Justin Tomczak with State Farm.
He added the odds of a Georgia driver hitting a deer are one out of every 134 drivers.
With increased “deer traffic” in the coming months, drivers should be extra mindful.
“When you are in an area that may be more heavily wooded, or that you’ve seen deer before, use extra caution, slow down a bit,” Tomczak said.
I’ve heard from traffic troopers that have already noticed a rapidly expanding deer presence along Atlanta interstates.
The national average cost per claim is almost $4,000, Tomczak said, but it may be more dangerous trying to avoid hitting a deer.
“If you swerve (trying to miss a deer) you may go off the road,” Tomczak said. “If you are going at a high rate of speed, colliding with a tree would often be far worse.”
In my experience, most car versus deer collisions come at night or in the pre-dawn or post-dusk hours. As we enter a season with increased deer activity it is important not only to focus your attention on the road while driving, but also on the wood lines along the road. Constantly scanning both sides of the road ahead of you looking for deer can be a great way to avoid any unnecessary, unwanted, expensive and possibly injurious collisions.
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