Iowa DOT reminds drivers: Deer can’t read crossing signs, but people can

The post explains that the sign is not there to tell deer where to cross, but to notify drivers of the danger of deer who tend to cross the roadway in that area.

The comments on the post were sometimes hilarious, sometimes brutal.

"I've heard that you can't fix stupid," one woman wrote. "Some people seem determined to prove that."

Another woman asked, “How freaking stupid do you have to be? It’s a warning sign, morons.”

One commenter asked if officials had heard the "Deer Crossing Lady," a clip of a woman calling into a radio show asking that question. The YouTube video went viral in 2012.

DOT officials responded by saying that the 2012 video had been debunked as a prank, but that the woman in the call was not alone.

One man said he wanted a job with the DOT.

“Can I please be the official deer crossing sign questions/concerns department?” he asked. “I need to have a chat with some of these people.”

DOT officials reported that, since January, there have been 3,344 crashes involving animals across Iowa. One person died and another 156 were injured.

The crashes cost more than $14 million in property damage.

According to State Farm's annual deer claim study for 2016, Iowa was fourth among the states where a driver was most likely to have a claim stemming from a collision with a deer, elk or moose. The state where collisions were most likely was West Virginia, followed by Montana and Pennsylvania, then Iowa.

South Dakota was fifth, according to State Farm.

November is the month during which crashes are most prevalent, due to deer mating season, the insurance company reported. October and December were also months in which crashes are common.