Public Information Officer Becky Judson said from October through December is deer mating season, which accounts for a spike in deer-related crashes in the state.
“There were 2,797 deer-related crashes reported in Kentucky in 2007,” explained Judson. “This led to three fatalities and 76 injuries. This year, 1,430 deer-related crashes have been reported thus far, resulting in one fatality and 56 injuries. Nationally, about 150 people die each year in motor vehicle accidents involving deer.”
Highway officials said some the causes for the increases in deer-related crashes are mating season-putting the animals on the move, farmers harvesting crops-reducing food supply and potential hiding places, and an increase in hunters and people in the woods.
“Deer tend to move at daylight and dusk when visibility is at its poorest for motorists,” warned Judson.
Elizabethtown Highway District Office Chief Engineer Patty Dunaway felt motorists should allow more time to get from one place to another, when traveling.
“Many times these accidents are unavoidable, but motorists can reduce the risk by taking extra time to drive carefully and staying alert,” explained Dunaway, “especially during dawn and dusk when visibility is lower and when deer tend to be on the move.”
Most people think that deer are only a problem in rural areas, but they can show up anywhere.
“While deer tend to cross highways along regular trails most of the year,” added Judson, “they can show up in towns, subdivisions and other unexpected places during the fall rut.”
The Insurance Information Institute offered the following defensive driving tips:
• Be attentive from sunset to midnight and around sunrise.
• Watch out at deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population, and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland.
• Use high beam headlights to better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.
• Slow down and blow the horn with one long blast to drive deer away.
• Brake firmly if a deer is in the road, but stay in the lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.
• Always wear a seat belt. Most people killed in deer-related crashes were not buckled.
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