‘Tis the season when “deer in the headlights” is more than a figure of speech.
November is the peak of deer mating season and motorists, especially those in rural areas, have a higher likelihood of an unexpected encounter with the four-legged animals.
“We definitely see more cars this time of year,” said Byron Alonzo, manager of Kars Auto Paint & Body Shop in Lawrenceville. “We see the year-round actually, but the number definitely goes up during fall and winter.”
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, deer mating season occurs between October and early December. This is when male deer look for potential mating partners, which “greatly contributes to the increased movement of deer, bringing them across roadways,” the DNR’s website says.
“These are white-tail deer,” said Don McGowan, a DNR wildlife biologist. “Our best estimate is right around a million in the state.”
According to the most recent statistics from the Georgia Department of Transportation, there were more than 13,500 deer-related automobile crashes in 2006. More than 9,000 of those incidents happened in the counties of Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett.
Andy N. Siegel, of Siegel Insurance Inc. in Atlanta, encourages his clients to keep an especially watchful eye on the road during this time of year, saying a collision between animal and automobile “could be very dangerous for the deer and the driver.”
“I say, if you see one, know that there are likely more in the area,” he said. “Slow down and look out more of them at dusk and dawn.”
AAA encourages motorists to stay alert and limit in-car distractions so there will be time to react to unexpected obstacles in the road.
Here are a few more tips from the automobile club’s website:
- Scan the road and shoulders ahead of you. Looking ahead helps provide enough reaction time if an animal is spotted. Also, remember some animals move in groups, so when there is one, there are usually more in the area.
- Use high beam headlights if there's no oncoming traffic. Wildlife may be spotted sooner when using high beams. This will give the driver time to slow down, move over or honk the horn to scare the animal away. High beams also help in spotting some animals' reflective eyes.
- If a collision is unavoidable, apply the brakes firmly and remain in your lane. Swerving to avoid an animal can often cause a more serious crash or result in drivers losing control of vehicles.
- Be extra cautious at dawn and dusk. Most animals, especially deer, tend to be more active early in the morning and at dusk.
- Slow down and use extra caution when traveling through areas with a high and active wildlife population. Be aware of increased wildlife movement in some regions during certain times of year, such as hunting or mating season.
- Drivers should always wear a seat belt and remain awake, alert and sober.
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