Deer-Vehicle Collisions (DVC)

Increasing human populations, over development, busier roads, dangerous driving habits (i.e.: careless driving, inattentive, speeding, and driving while intoxicated), natural migration and more activities through-out wildlife habitats all contribute to deer/car collisions.

Hitting a deer on the road is a fear shared by many motorists. The high-risk periods for this type of accident are said to be dawn and dusk from September through April. However, an incident of this kind can happen on any day or night!

Useful tips to minimize collision risks or prevent serious injuries:

• Keep your windshield clean.
• Keep your headlights clean, particularly in the winter, and well adjusted. In the evening, drive with your high beams on whenever possible.
• Keep your seatbelt buckled at all times.
• Make sure you are alert and sober when driving.
• Look for signs announcing a Deer crossing. They are not placed at random—they in fact indicate high-risk areas.
• Drive more slowly at night: this will give you more time to react to unexpected events.
• Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.
• Be cautious in areas with reduced visibility, for example on hills and entering turns or sides of the road where vegetation is particularly dense.
• Scan both sides of the road as far as possible in front of you. Is there a passenger with you? He or she can also keep a lookout.
• Use your horn - it may scare the animal(s) away.
• Warn others drivers of deer activates by flashing your lights at oncoming traffic.

If you see a deer at the side of the road, there is a good chance it is not alone. In fact, they tend to travel in small groups. If you see one, there are likely more in the vicinity. They tend to move in single file. And don’t forget that animals are very unpredictable. A deer that is grazing quietly near a ditch can suddenly jump in front of your vehicle just as you approach.


Sometimes a collision is unavoidable... So make sure you know what to do!

No matter how careful you are, a collision may be unavoidable. If this happens, you can at least try to avoid serious injury by remembering the following advice:

• If there are no vehicles behind you, brake sharply or, if you have time, pump your brakes.
• Turn on your emergency flashers to warn the vehicle behind you of the imminent danger.
• Stay on the road and maintain a strong grip on the steering wheel.
• If you hit a deer, pull well off the road and turn on your emergency flashers.
• Even if you are uninjured and your car is drivable, notify the police if the animal remains in the road. Don't try to remove a deer from the road unless you are sure that it is dead. An injured deer can thrash its hooves and severely injure you.
• Report the incident to your insurer. Typically damage is covered by the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy.

Obviously, no one wants to hit a deer intentionally, but often it is better to hit the animal than to desperately try to avoid it. Many of the people who are hurt or killed because of an animal on the road made the mistake of veering out of their lane and then hitting another vehicle or fixed obstacle.

There is no sure way to keep deer off our roads and away from cars. Some gadgets, such as the deer whistle, exist on the market but there is no scientific evidence showing their actual benefits. What’s more, they may create a false sense of security for motorists and lead to even more accidents. So, paying full attention to what is happening on the road and keeping to the speed limits are always key aspects of effective defensive driving (The best way to avoid any type of accident).

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