Cooler weather and shorter days mean more deer are now gracing Kentucky’s roadways. The number of deer-vehicle collisions increases during October and peaks in November and December.
According to data from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, in 2021, there were more than 2,980 deer related crashes in Kentucky. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows there are about 1 million car accidents with deer each year that kill 200 Americans, cause more than 10,000 personal injuries, and result in $1 billion in vehicle damage.
To help prevent a crash or to reduce damage from an animal collision, AAA suggests that motorists:
- Pay attention to road signs that indicate areas with high levels of deer activity.
- Keep focused on the road by ditching distractions.
- Be especially attentive in early morning and evening hours. Many animals, especially deer, are most active from 5-8am and 5-8pm.
- Use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic. Animals can be spotted sooner and the light reflecting off their eyes will often reveal their location.
- Slow down and watch for other deer to appear, as they rarely travel alone. If there is one, more are likely nearby.
- Resist the urge to swerve. Swerving away from animals can confuse them so they don’t know which way to run. It can also put motorists in the path of oncoming vehicles or cause the vehicle to crash into something.
- If the crash is imminent take your foot off the brake. During hard braking, the front end of a vehicle is pulled downward which can cause the animal to travel up over the hood towards the windshield. Letting off the brake can protect motorists from windshield strikes because the animal is more likely to be pushed to one side of the vehicle or over the top of the vehicle.
In the event of a deer strike, AAA recommends the following: Call the police; avoid making contact with the animal. A frightened or wounded animal can hurt people or further injure itself; put the vehicle’s hazard lights on, whether it’s light or dark outside; If possible, immediately move the vehicle to a safe location, out of the roadway, and wait for help to arrive; and finally, motorists should contact their insurance agent or company representative as quickly as possible to report any damage.
