TimesLeader.com

WILDLIFE SAFETY

It’s a good time for drivers to keep an eye out for deer

RICH WALTON Special to The Times Leader

While Pennsylvania is currently in the peak of its hunting seasons - small game, turkey and archery deer, November is also the peak period of another “season” - deer/vehicle collisions.

click image to enlarge

With the fall breeding season in full swing and deer searching for food before winter, they are more likely to cross roadways.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION

click image to enlarge

Deer-vehicle collisions increase in the fall, particularly in November, as breeding activity makes deer more active.

Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

Deer/vehicle collisions don’t come cheap. According to insurance statistics, the average cost to repair a deer-damaged vehicle is approximately $2,000. Worst yet are the injuries and deaths caused to vehicle occupants as a result of these collisions.

Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation with the number of deaths resulting from collisions with animals, according to data released last week by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). And, recently examined insurance claims for animal strikes under comprehensive coverage found that insurance claims for animal collisions are nearly three times higher during November than a typical month earlier in the year.

Studies on these crashes for the period 1993-2007 show that the states with the largest number of total deaths were Texas with 227, Wisconsin with 123 and Pennsylvania with 112. Claims information also shows that deer are the main cause of heavy losses in vehicle/animal collisions.

The HLDI says that State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurer, estimates that there were more than 1.2 million claims for damage in crashes with animals during the last half of 2007 and the first half of 2008. The company says that animal strike claims have increased 14.9 percent during the last five years.

The State Game Commission reports that deer/vehicle collisions are an annual occurrence, especially in the fall, that will continue through Thanksgiving week and begin to slow down in mid-December. Motorists should exercise caution and slow down when driving at sunset and into the night hours during this period, the agency advises.

Carl Roe, commission executive director, noted that during the fall breeding season, commonly referred to as the “rut,” some deer aren’t paying attention to what’s going on around them. At this time, he said, deer are moving about more than usual and bucks are preoccupied with finding a receptive doe and also staying a few steps ahead of rival suitors. Increased hunting activity in farm and woodlands also puts deer on the move.

Urban sprawl has been attributed to increases in deer/vehicle collisions.

“Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country,” says Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president.

“If your’re driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November,” she added.

“Crashes in which people are killed are most likely to occur in rural areas and on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher,” reports Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research with IIHS. Most crashes are likely to occur in darkness, at dusk or at dawn, she explained.

Accident investigators say that swerving to avoid striking an animal many times results in more severe damage and injuries than staying on the roadway and applying the brakes. A vehicle swerving off the roadway can roll over, strike large trees or utility poles.

When the Game Commission handled all road-killed deer and maintained statistics on these accidents, upwards of 40,000 deer a year were being killed on the roadways. In recent years, PennDOT took over the cleanup of deer carcasses via private contractors on most state highways while the Game Commission handles deer killed on township, county and some SR routes. It is difficult to obtain good statistics, but the agency says highway deer kills still run into similar figures.

Pennsylvania motorists also have another large animal to watch out for in the fall. Black bears are on the move seeking food to fatten up for their winter rest. A bear crossing a roadway at night on an unlighted rural road is difficult to see until it’s too late. Keeping your eyes on the roadway, cutting speed and staying off the cell phone can reduce your chances of an accident with a deer or bear.

Accident investigators also emphasize the use of seat belts, which can reduce or even prevent injuries in the event of a collision with a deer or bear.

In the last four weeks, two conservation officers serving townships on the east side of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County handled seven bears killed by vehicles. Conservation officer Jerry Kapral had three bears killed by vehicles and officer Dave Allen had four. Conservation officer Jim Jolley, whose district includes the Back Mountain, had no bears killed in recent weeks but did have reports of at least 15 deer killed by vehicles just in the last week.

He said a few of those were nice bucks.