Deer on the Roads

Thursday November 15, 2018

If you haven’t said good-bye to a loved one followed up by “Watch for deer!”, are you even from Michigan??

It is a daily occurrence to see deer on the side of the road or a car with a crumpled hood because of said deer. According to the Michigan Office for Highway Safety Planning, there were 2,031 crashes in the tri-county area that involved a deer in 2017. “We live in a community where the deer are in abundance,” says Jim Cook, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the local health department. “The only way to avoid meeting them on the road is to stay focused and vigilant. Put down the cell phones and keep your family safe by keeping your eyes peeled.” The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has some tips to help keep you (and your car) safe from deer this hunting and mating season.

• Watch for the rest of the gang. Deer are pack animals, and rarely travel alone. If a deer crosses in front of you, chances are there are more nearby. Slow down and keep an eye out for more deer darting across the road.

• Timing is everything. Deer are most active at dusk and dawn: periods when your vision is most compromised. To add to their terrible timing, deer are on the move during mating season (between October and January) when you’re more likely to travel after the sun sets. Slow down and stay alert, especially after dark

• Wear your seat belt. It may not prevent a collision, but if the inevitable happens a seat belt can reduce injuries. This is especially true if you lose control and collide with something bigger, and more stationary than a deer.

• Take a moment to reflect. First, look for the road signs. The yellow diamonds with the deer on it are placed in high-traffic areas for deer. You may also spot a deer because their eyes will brightly reflect a car’s headlights, making them easier to spot.

• Stay Center. On a multi-lane road, the center lane is your safest bet for avoiding a deer collision. This gives deer plenty of space; and in case your vehicle does startle them, it gives you more time to react if one darts onto the road.

• Stay the course. If you see a deer, brake firmly and calmly, and stay in your lane. Swerving could make you lose control of your vehicle and turn a bad situation much worse. Not to mention, deer are unpredictable, and you could swerve directly into their changed path.

• Honk! Some experts recommend that one long blast of the horn will scare deer out of the road. Do not rely on hood whistles or other devices designed to scare off deer—studies have shown them to be largely ineffective at minimizing accidents.