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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- It is the time of year when motorists should exercise extra caution while driving to avoid deer-vehicle accidents and the potential for serious injuries, Department of Natural Resources Director Brent Manning said today.
"We^re experiencing an early fall this year and that will affect the movement pattern of deer," Manning said. "Cooler temperatures make deer more active, and if you combine that with a lot of crop harvest activity, increased deer movements will make deer-vehicle collisions much more likely to occur.
"Corn is being harvested earlier this year than at any time since 1991, and when farmers are cutting a lot of corn, the increased activity in the fields may drive deer away. In addition, the harvest removes a significant amount of the cover available to deer, so they may relocate to other areas. All of this increased activity means motorists need to be extra careful when driving and need to be alert to deer on or near roads and highways."
Annually, the highest number of deer-vehicle accidents occurs during the deer breeding season, which is just around the corner. The breeding season or "rut" for white-tailed deer peaks about mid-November, as do the number of deer-vehicle accidents. Responding to their instinct to mate, deer become less cautious and more unpredictable. This year^s early fall means that deer will be a little more mobile and prone to accidents with vehicles prior to the rut.
Among the suggestions to motorists to avoid deer-vehicle accidents:
*Be especially cautious at dusk through the early evening hours and in the hours before sunrise when deer are most active.
*Reduce speed and be prepared to stop on roads where deer may be present.
*Anticipate deer when driving through wooded and densely vegetated areas.
*Drivers encountering deer on the roadway should blink their headlights from bright to dim and/or honk their horn to try to get deer to move on.
*Drivers who come upon deer should warn motorists behind them by tapping their brakes. Most importantly, drivers should maintain control of the vehicle. The likelihood of injury is much greater if drivers swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road to avoid hitting a deer.
*In the event of an accident, the first priority is to provide assistance to injured passengers. Do not attempt to remove a dead or injured deer from a busy roadway. Instead, contact local, county or state law enforcement officials. Illinois law requires all accidents resulting in damage of $500 or more to be reported and an accident report filed with the police.
"However, having said all of that, I want to remind people that each encounter comes with a different and unique set of circumstances that could cause deer to react differently or unpredictably," said IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton. "There are going to be times when you want to use your horn - when for example the deer is in your line of travel or when it is already moving in a direction you want it to continue moving; however, there are going to be other situations when you don^t want to use it. If a deer is standing still on the side of the road, you probably don^t want to spook it. Instead, as you always should do, slow down and proceed in a cautious manner.
"I can^t stress enough that slowing down is the single most important component of driving safely during this season," Shelton said. "You always have to consider that more often than not there are additional deer you^re not seeing. While you^re trying to evade the deer you see, there may be five or six more deer that you don^t see. Slowing down is the only tactic that gives you more time to react to the unexpected."
Shelton also urges drivers to be cognizant of their surroundings and to make a habit of recognizing potential areas for deer-vehicle accidents. He said many of these accidents occur over and over again in the same spots where the natural habitat encourages deer to cross public thoroughfares. Deer tend to move along waterways, fence rows, field edges and wooded corridors.
More than 17,000 deer-vehicle accidents occur every year in Illinois. In those cases, the driver of the vehicle involved in the deer-vehicle accident has the priority in possessing the deer. If the driver doesn^t want the deer, any Illinois resident may claim the animal. Any person possessing a deer killed as a result of a vehicular accident must report it to the IDNR by calling 1-800-406-3477 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individuals will be issued an authorization number, which will allow for the lawful possession of the deer.
Those who claim a deer following an accident must call within 24 hours if the collision occurred Monday through Thursday. Deer killed Friday through Sunday or on holidays must be reported during the next regular workday. Motorists will be asked the date and time of the accident, the county and closest town in which the accident occurred and the sex of the deer.
Uploaded: 10/9/1999
Uploaded: 10/9/1999