How to Avoid Hitting a Deer
Hitting a deer is a common occurrence, especially for drivers who frequently travel through rural or wooded areas. While it can be a scary and traumatizing experience, it’s important to know how to handle the situation properly to ensure everyone’s safety.
First and foremost, if you hit a deer while driving, make sure to pull over to a safe location as soon as possible. Turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers, and check to see if anyone in your car is injured. If you’re uninjured and the car is drivable, move it to the side of the road.
Next, call the police to report the accident. They can help direct traffic and document the incident for insurance purposes. It’s also essential to contact your insurance company as soon as possible, as hitting a deer is typically covered under comprehensive coverage.
It’s crucial not to approach the deer, even if it appears to be dead. Injured animals can be dangerous, and you never know if the deer is still alive and could attack. Additionally, moving the deer can cause further harm to both the animal and yourself.
In summary, hitting a deer can be a traumatic experience, but it’s significant to stay calm and handle the situation properly. Pull over to a safe location, check for injuries, call the police and your insurance company, and avoid approaching the deer. By taking these steps, you can ensure everyone’s safety and minimize the damage caused by the accident.
Avoid hitting a deer – These tips will keep you safe and help prevent costly repairs.
Cruising to enjoy autumn’s colors? Be on the lookout for deer. Insurance claims for hitting a deer rise dramatically in the fall when deer are mating, peaking in November, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It estimates that more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year in the U.S., resulting in approximately $1 billion in vehicle damage.
A new study by State Farm Insurance underscores the danger in certain states, showing that its claims are up 21 percent over the last five years, even though the miles driven by motorists are up by only 2 percent.
“Fall brings the dangerous combination of the deer being more active when we’re driving more in dusk or dark, due to the shorter daylight hours. Stay attentive and make use of your high beams whenever you can to see further ahead to avoid hitting a deer,” says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.
Clearly, these impacts can be fatal to the animals, but the most recent data available from IIHS shows that 186 people were killed in crashes involving animals in 2015.
“The best defense is common sense,” says Russ Rader, IIHS spokesman. “Slow down in areas where deer are prevalent. If you see one deer cross the road ahead, others are likely to follow.” He noted that most human deaths in these crashes happen when a vehicle runs off the road or a motorcyclist falls off the bike after a collision. “Most of the human deaths would be prevented if every driver buckled up and every motorcyclist wore a helmet,” Rader says.
State Farm’s annual deer claim study reveals a consistent roster of the 10 states with the most collisions, and the latest figures show that there is increased chance of hitting a deer in those locations.
HOW TO AVOID HITTING A DEER
There are precautions you can take to help avoid hitting a deer or other animal:
- Slow down. Watch for deer especially around dawn and between the hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., when deer are most active.
- Be aware. Look out for deer-crossing signs and wooded areas where deer or other animals are likely to travel. And if you travel the same route to and from work every day, you might find deer consistently grazing in the same fields. Make a mental note of when and where you regularly see these animals.
- Be alert. If you see an animal on the side of the road, slow down, and at night when traffic permits, put on your high beams for greater visibility.
- Brake, don’t swerve. Swerving to avoid an animal can put you at risk for hitting another vehicle or losing control of your own car. It can also confuse the animal as to which way to go. Instead, just slow down as quickly and safely as you can. Your odds of surviving an accident are better when hitting an animal rather than hitting another car.
- Assume they have friends. The “where there’s one, there’s usually more” often holds true. Deer travel in groups, so if you see one run across the road, expect others to follow.
- Don’t rely on deer whistles. Even with this precaution, animal behavior remains unpredictable.
- Buckle up. A seat belt is your best defense for minimizing your risk in a crash. A past Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that 60 percent of the people killed in animal-vehicle collisions weren’t wearing seat belts.
If you hit an animal, move your car safely off the road and call police or animal control. Do not attempt to touch an injured animal. Photograph the scene, then call your insurance company when you get home. Animal collisions are often covered in your policy.
Your Next Great American Vacation
Tagged 1080 east trinity ln, acceptance insurance, acceptance insurance quote, affordable car insurance, Affordable Home Insurance, affordable insurance, affordable insurance agency, alabama, alabama home insurance, Alliance Insurance Group, ameriagency, ameriagency auto, AmeriAgency Insurance, auto comercial, Auto Insurance, auto insurance agency nashville, auto insurance alabama, auto insurance america, auto insurance america quote, auto insurance cheap, auto insurance clarksville, auto insurance discounts, auto insurance fayetteville, Auto insurance free online quotes, auto insurance full service agency, auto insurance jackson, auto insurance lowest rates nashville, auto insurance madison tn, auto insurance memphis, auto insurance murfreesboro, auto insurance nashville, auto insurance nationwide, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance rates, auto insurance selmer, auto insurance smyrna, auto insurance sr22, auto insurance tennessee, best homeowners rates, best tn home insurance rates, bristol, Broad form SR22, bundle auto insurance, bundle home insurance, bundle insurance, business auto insurance, business contents insurance, business insurance chattanooga, business insurance knoxville, business insurance memphis, business insurance nashville, business insurance selmer, call insurance murfreesboro, car insurance, car insurance chattanooga, car insurance cheap, car insurance knoxville, car insurance memphis, car insurance murfreesboro, car insurance nashville, Car insurance Nationwide, car insurance nolensville, car insurance selmer, car insurance smyrna, car insurance tennessee, car insurance tn, certificate of renters insurance, chatanooga, cheap auto insurance, cheap auto insurance murfreesboro, cheap auto insurance nashville, cheap auto insurance shelbyville, cheap auto insurance smyrna, cheap auto insurance tullahoma, cheap car insurance, cheap car insurance memphis, cheap car insurance murfreesboro, cheap car insurance nashville, cheap car insurance smyrna, cheap home insurance, clarksville, clarksville home insurance, commercial auto insurance, concrete general contractors, construction insurance, contents insurance, contractor insurance, contratistas, dairyland sr22, electrician work comp, fast auto quote, fast business quote, fast online auto quote, fast quotes nationwide, fayetville, food truck insurance memphis, framer gl insurance, framers general liability insurance, full service agency, georgia, georgia home insurance, gl, gl for contractors, gl quote, graham insurance, graham insurance lebanon, graham insurance nashville, home insurance, home insurance dickson, home insurance east nashville, home insurance gallatin, home insurance knoxville, home insurance memphis, home insurance mount juliet, home insurance mt juliet, home insurance murfreesboro, home insurance nashville, home insurance smyrna, home insurnace springfield, homeinsurance clarksville, homeowners insurance, homeowners insurance memphis, homeowners insurance nashville, homeowners insurance selmer, homeowners insurance smyrna, homeowners insurance tennessee, homeowners rates, house insurance murfreesboro, insurance agency murfreesboro, insurance madison tn, insurance murfreesboro, insure your home, jackson, jackson auto insurance, jackson home insurance, jackson sr22, jackson tennessee nationwide, jackson tn nationwide, janitorial, kentucky, knoxville, knoxville home insurance, la vernge auto insurance, landlord required renters insurance, lessor risk insurance, liability car insurance, liability insurance, liability only insurance, life insurance, low car insurance, low cost auto, low cost auto insurance, lower home insurance costs, lowest auto insurance, lowest auto insurance rates, lowest car insurance, lowest car insurance quotes, lowest cheap insurance, lowest cost home insurance, lowest cost insurance nashville, lowest home insurance, lowest home insurance rate, lowest home insurance tennessee, lowest insurance auto, lowest premium auto insurance, lowest rate renters insurance, lowest rate tn insurance, madison auto insurance, masonry insurance, memphis, memphis auto insurance, memphis brick mason insurance, memphis home insurance, memphis nationwide insurance, memphis property insurance, memphis renters insurance, memphis sr22, memphis truck insurance, memphis work comp, mississippi, morgan insurance trinity, murfreeesboro, murfreesbor auto insurance, murfreesboro, murfreesboro auto insurance, murfreesboro car insurance, murfreesboro home insurance, murfreesboro homeowners, murfreesboro nationwide, murfreesboro nationwide insurance, murfreesboro truck insurance, murreesboro car insurance, nashvile home insurance, nashville, nashville auto insurance, nashville auto insurance rates, nashville car insurance, nashville home insurance rates, nashville nationwide, nashville nationwide insurance, nashville tn, nationwide, nationwide auto insurance, nationwide auto insurance murfreesboro, nationwide car insurance, nationwide contractor insurance, nationwide home insurance, nationwide home insurance nashville, nationwide insurance, nationwide insurance murfreesboro tennessee, nationwide insurance tn, nationwide memphis, Nationwide murfreesboro, nationwide nashville, nationwide renters insurance, nationwide sr22, nationwide tennessee, Nationwide Trinity Lane, no deductible car insurance, non-owners sr22, painter gl insurance, painters, pgac sr22, plumber contractor insurance, Progressive, progressive sr22 murfreesboro, proof of renters insurance memphis, property insurance, remodelers insurance, renters insurance, renters insurance alabama, renters insurance aZ, renters insurance clarksville, renters insurance murfreesboro, renters insurance nationwide, renters insurance north carolina, renters insurance smyrna, renters insurance tennessee, roofing contractors, seguro, seguro espanol, selmer, selmer auto insurance, selmer sr22, service insurance agency, shannons home insurance quote, shelbyville, shelbyville nationwide, shelter insurance, small business insurance, small business insurance germantown, small business insurance jackson tn, small business insurance memphis, small business insurance nashville, small business insurance selmer, small business quotes murfreesboro, smithville, smyrna, smyrna auto insurance, smyrna car insurance, smyrna cheap insurance, smyrna GA, smyrna home insurance, smyrna insurance, smyrna insurance affordable, smyrna nationwide insurance, smyrna truck insurance, sr 22 murfreesboro, sr-22, sr-22 insurance tennesee, sr-22 nashville, sr22, sr22 alabama, sr22 clarksville, sr22 georgia, sr22 jackson, sr22 knoxville, sr22 lavergne, sr22 memphis, sr22 murfreesboro, sr22 nashville, sr22 nationwide, sr22 reinstatement, sr22 selmer, sr22 shelbyville, sr22 smithville, sr22 smyrna, sr22 tennessee, state farm, taco truck insurance, tennesee liability insurance, Tennessee, tennessee auto insurance, tennessee car insurance, tennessee home insurance, Tennessee home insurance quote, tennessee homeowners insurance, tennessee rates home insurance, tennessee renters insurance, Tennessee truck insurance, the general, the general insurance, the general insurance sr22, the general nashville, the general tennessee, the general tn, tn agency auto insurance, tn bop, tn dl sr22, tn homeowners insurance, tn low cost insurance, tn reinstament dmv, tn reinstatement sr22, trexis insurance, Trexis SR22, tri-cities, truck insurance, work comp, workers comp, workers compensation