AAA officials offer tips to avoid deer collisions during November’s peak season

Written By ApurbaDa November 15, 2024 Add Comment

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – AAA experts are offering tips to avoid running into a deer during the peak November season for deer-car collisions.

Officials with the association said November is the peak season for the collisions, and the numbers have been growing year by year. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety backs this up, reporting that 1.5 million deer-car collisions take place every year in the United States, resulting in 150 fatalities and “tens of thousands of injuries.”

“Poorer visibility after the end of daylight saving time and more deer moving around, creates the perfect storm for a driving catastrophe,” AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria said. “Additionally, deer-related insurance claim costs continue to climb, providing more incentive for drivers to have heightened awareness.”

AAA offers these tips to avoid deer collisions:

Pay attention to road signs. Yellow, diamond-shaped signs with an image of a deer indicate areas with high levels of deer activity.
Keep your eyes on the road. Ditching distractions is one of the easiest ways to ensure being ready when a deer comes out of nowhere.
Be especially attentive in the early morning and evening hours. Many animals, especially deer, are most active from 5-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m., prime commuting times for many drivers.
Use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic. You can spot animals sooner. Sometimes the light reflecting off their eyes will reveal their location.
Slow down and watch for other deer to appear. Deer rarely travel alone, so if you see one, there are likely to be more nearby.
Resist the urge to swerve. Instead, stay in your lane with both hands firmly on the wheel. Swerving away from animals can confuse them, so they don’t know which way to run. It can also put you in the path of oncoming vehicles or cause you to crash into something.
If the crash is imminent, take your foot off the brake. During hard braking, the front end of your vehicle moves downward, which can cause the animal to travel up over the hood and towards your windshield. Letting off the brake can protect drivers from windshield strikes because the animal is more likely to be pushed to one side or over the vehicle’s top.

AAA offers additional tips if a driver does hit a deer:

Call the police.
Avoid making contact with the animal. A frightened or wounded animal can hurt you or further injure itself.
Put the vehicle’s hazard lights on, whether light or dark outside.
If possible, immediately move the vehicle to a safe location, out of the roadway, and wait for help to arrive.
Contact your insurance agent or company representative as quickly as possible to report any damage to your car.

AAA officials said the average insurance deer-related claim is more than $6,600, which is climbing due to supply chain issues and more advanced vehicle technology. Because of this, officials recommend checking insurance coverage and opting for comprehensive coverage covering collisions with animals.

from KARK https://ift.tt/nwZhxga