September 2003

 

Oh, Deer
Jamie H. Thompson, ThompsonJa@missouri.edu

On my way to work last fall, I saw a deer coming across the field—he jumped the barbwire fence and started across Hwy 50. He was coming from my left, much too fast. As I watched the deer, I kept saying “no, not again.” You see, just the night before, I had picked up my car from collision repair after a one week stay--a young boy made a left-turn from the right lane into the front fender of my car. Realizing that the deer and I would hit, I began to prepare myself for the impact.

While searching the web for information, I found numerous articles on “deer-vehicle accidents.” The increase in this type of accident is of concern for many states. For instance, only about 400 deer lived in Missouri in 1925. “We endured an entire generation when whitetails were rarer than gold nuggets.” At the turn of the new century more than 800,000 deer called Missouri their home. Since deer tend to cluster near urban and suburban areas, our morning and evening commutes can be hazardous and very costly; resulting in over 750,000 deer-vehicle collisions, 120 fatalities, and $1.2 billion in property damage each year nationwide. In Missouri alone, drivers reported 8,148 deer-vehicle collisions for 2001, which had almost doubled from 2000. That same year, Michigan reported the highest number, 66,993.

So…what do we do as drivers to protect ourselves?

• Be alert. Deer activity is highest during a period of two hours before and after sunrise and one hour before to four hours after sunset. The majority of accidents occur in the fall of the year, within a 60 day period around the peak of the mating season.” During the spring and summer months, does are involved in accidents while moving to and from their fawns and feeding sites.
• Drive defensively. Use caution when approaching wooded draws or creek bottom that intersect highways and agricultural settings.
• Scan roadways for deer. At night, look for deer eye reflections.
• Reduce speed. Deer are social animals and often travel in family groups, so it is likely that others will follow.
• Maintain control of the vehicle. If a collision seems inevitable, don’t swerve to avoid the deer; your risk of injury may be greater if you do. Hit it, but control the vehicle
• Always wear your seat belt!

And… if we are in an accident with a deer, what steps should we take?

• Check for injuries.
• Call the police or state highway patrol
• Write down the names and addresses of witnesses to the accident.
• Write down details about the accident.
• Call your insurance agent.

What happens to the deer after the accident? I met with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Highway Patrol to find the answer. Generally, the first responder (police, sheriff, or highway patrol) will take care of an injured animal. If you want the carcass, a disposition form must be completed to have it donated to you. Many officers have this form on hand but if they do not, you can go to your local Department of Conservation. Questions are asked for tracking purposes—sex and age of the animal and the cause of death. If you choose not to take the animal, the local sheriff’s department keeps a running list of people wanting carcasses. In a few counties, the carcasses go to the local soup kitchens. If the death of an animal on the road has not been reported and several hours or days have gone by, the local highway department is responsible for the removal of the carcass.

In my case, a father and son stopped to help. The deer was still alive but severely injured. Thankfully they were able to put it out of its misery. They stayed with me until highway patrol arrived. Since I did not want the deer, they filled out the disposition and took the deer to a local meat processor.

I made four calls—highway patrol, emergency service for a tow truck, my insurance agent, and finally my husband. My injuries were minor; just very sore muscles. The damage to my car was extensive, four weeks of repairs. The focus of next month’s article is insurance—understanding your insurance policy and coverage for this type of accident.

Sources: Johns (1998) “Deer-Vehicle Accidents on the SRS” University of Georgia johns@SREL.edu; Danielson and Hubbard (1998) “A Literature Review for Assessing the Status of Current Methods of Reducing Deer-Vehicle Collisions”; Cwynar (1997) “Downtown Deer” Missouri Conservationist magazine; “Vehicle Accidents with Deer Increase” October 18, 2002 Jefferson City News Tribune; “When Bumpers Meet Antlers” State Farm www.statefarm.com/educate; Insurance Information Institute, www.iii.org