MERIDEN, Conn. — Fall is the worst time of year for automobile collisions involving deer. From October through December each year, these accidents account for more than 150 human and nearly 1.5 million deer fatalities. Experts attribute the problem to the combination of deer mating and migration habits and shortened daylight hours.
"More drivers are on the road at dawn and dusk, the very time of day when deer are most active," cautioned Ray Palermo, director of public relations for Response Insurance, a national car insurer. "A car striking a 200-pound adult deer can not only result in the death of the deer, but also incur an average of 2,000 dollars in damage to the vehicle."
Palermo suggested a few basic cautions for drivers.
• Scan a wide swath of the roadside. Slow down when approaching a deer standing near the side of a road and be prepared. If startled, the deer can bolt onto the road and into your path. If necessary, honk your horn and flash your lights to try to scare it away.
• Be alert for more deer you cannot see. Where there is one deer, there are often more nearby.
• In many instances, it is best not to swerve around the deer since the deer may move in the same direction. You may also inadvertently hit another vehicle, or veer off onto a dangerous shoulder. Unless you are certain of those road factors, it is often best to simply brake and continue in your lane of traffic.
• Be particularly careful at dawn and dusk and when driving either over a hill or around a curve, where visibility is limited. Use your high beams to give you a greater area of visibility and allow you to see the deer's eyes sooner.
• Deer whistles or ultrasonic deer avoidance systems attached to vehicles never have been proven to work by independent studies and may give drivers a false sense of security.
• Take deer crossing signs seriously, particularly those installed specifically for this time of year. Be particularly cautious in wooded and agricultural areas where there is little distance between the road and the woods.
More driver safety information is available at www.Response.com/safety.
"More drivers are on the road at dawn and dusk, the very time of day when deer are most active," cautioned Ray Palermo, director of public relations for Response Insurance, a national car insurer. "A car striking a 200-pound adult deer can not only result in the death of the deer, but also incur an average of 2,000 dollars in damage to the vehicle."
Palermo suggested a few basic cautions for drivers.
• Scan a wide swath of the roadside. Slow down when approaching a deer standing near the side of a road and be prepared. If startled, the deer can bolt onto the road and into your path. If necessary, honk your horn and flash your lights to try to scare it away.
• Be alert for more deer you cannot see. Where there is one deer, there are often more nearby.
• In many instances, it is best not to swerve around the deer since the deer may move in the same direction. You may also inadvertently hit another vehicle, or veer off onto a dangerous shoulder. Unless you are certain of those road factors, it is often best to simply brake and continue in your lane of traffic.
• Be particularly careful at dawn and dusk and when driving either over a hill or around a curve, where visibility is limited. Use your high beams to give you a greater area of visibility and allow you to see the deer's eyes sooner.
• Deer whistles or ultrasonic deer avoidance systems attached to vehicles never have been proven to work by independent studies and may give drivers a false sense of security.
• Take deer crossing signs seriously, particularly those installed specifically for this time of year. Be particularly cautious in wooded and agricultural areas where there is little distance between the road and the woods.
More driver safety information is available at www.Response.com/safety.