DEER: Deer have a habit of stepping out of the shadows just in time to meet your car in the roadway.
With autumn here, it’s a time when deer are even more likely to run into the path of motorists, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
“In the fall months, deer become bolder and begin to travel greater distances and are more likely to venture across roads and highways,” said PennDOT Engineering District 1 Executive Bill Petit. “That’s why it is important for drivers to take extra precautions during October and November to avoid being involved in a deer-related crash.”
While there’s nothing people can do to stop a line of deer from crossing the road in front of a vehicle (it really seems to be just one), motorists can take a few steps to lessen the chances of crashes and injuries.
This is good news, as, according to PennDOT, “last year, there were 4,832 deer-related crashes in Pennsylvania, resulting in 1,249 injuries and 12 fatalities.”
PennDOT explains, “Deer often travel in small herds and are most active between sunset and sunrise as they look for food. So drivers should be alert during their morning and evening commutes.”
There are definitely roads we use all the time where we are always watching for deer, as they seem to have their regular hang-out spots.
The agency offered these suggestions to keep Pennsylvania drivers a little safer this fall:
Slow down and use caution, particularly where deer crossing signs are posted.
Increase the following distance between vehicles.
Make young drivers aware of increased deer movement.
Always wear your seat belt.
Never drive impaired.
Turn your headlights on whenever using your wipers.
We were able to dig up a few statistics collected by PennDOT’s Bureau of Maintenance and Operations. These are all from 2014.
According to the Bureau, in Cameron County, there were seven deer-related crashes reported. There were 23 in Elk County, 39 in McKean County and six in Potter County. Thankfully, none of these deer-related crashes were fatal.
Can any of our readers tell us how big the deer population is around here this year compared to other years? We’d love to know. What conditions make for a higher deer population?
