Potential for deer crashes will be high this season

October 1, 2009

In coming weeks, deer will be plentiful and their movements unpredictable along Wisconsin roadways. To avoid adding to the seasonal spike in traffic crashes involving deer, drivers will need to be extremely cautious and vigilant, Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) officials warn.

During their mating season in October and November, deer will be more active especially at dusk and dawn when they move to and from their bedding and feeding areas. As a result, more deer will be darting onto highways this time of year.

Deer are the third most commonly struck object in Wisconsin traffic crashes (behind collisions with another vehicle or a fixed object).  Law enforcement agencies reported a total of 15,821 deer vs. vehicle crashes last year.  Dane County had the most motor vehicle vs. deer crashes reported in 2008 with 837. Waukesha County had the second most with 683 followed by Shawano and St. Croix counties each with 575.  In Green Lake County, more than half of all reported crashes in 2008 involved deer.

“To avoid deer crashes, drivers must slow down when they see deer in the area. If you see one deer, there are probably more nearby that could dash in front of your vehicle,” says Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for WisDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety. “If you can’t avoid a deer, it’s safer to hit the brakes and hit the deer than to swerve suddenly and try to miss it. If you swerve, you risk losing control of your vehicle and rolling over or hitting another car or a fixed object, like a tree.”

Hughes emphasizes that motorcyclists must be especially careful this time of year because collisions with deer can be fatal. Motorcycles were involved in seven of the 10 fatal deer-vehicle crashes in Wisconsin in 2008.

The WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety offers the following advice for avoiding collisions with deer:

• Be on the lookout for deer, eliminate distractions while driving, and slow down in early morning and evening hours—the most active time for deer.
• Always wear your safety belt—there are fewer and less severe injuries in vehicle-deer crashes when safety belts are worn.
• If you see a deer by the side of the road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
• When you see one deer, look for another one—deer seldom run alone.
• If you see a deer looming in your headlights, don't expect the deer to move away—headlights can confuse a deer and cause the animal to freeze.
• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path.
• Do not swerve—it can confuse the deer as to where to run—and cause you to lose control and hit a tree or another car.
• The one exception to the “don’t swerve” advice applies to motorcyclists.  On a motorcycle, you should slow down, brake firmly and then swerve if necessary to avoid hitting the deer. If you must swerve, always try to stay within your lane to avoid hitting other objects.
• If you hit a deer, get your vehicle off the road if possible, and then call a law enforcement agency.  Walking on a highway is dangerous, so stay in your vehicle if you can.
• Don’t try to move the animal if it is still alive. The injured deer could hurt you.

For more information, contact:
Donald Lyden, Bureau of Transportation Safety
(608) 267-5179, donald.lyden@dot.wi.gov