Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated several motor vehicle collisions involving deer this past week. There were no injuries reported.
In an effort to minimize the chances of being involved in a collision with deer, the OPP offer motorists the following tips:
- Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions. Drive with caution when moving through areas known to have a large deer population. Remember – deer seldom run alone. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.
- When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.
- Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
- Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when driver swerves to avoid a deer and hits another vehicle or loses control of their own vehicle.
- Always wear your seat belt. Most people who are injured in car-deer collisions were not wearing their seat belt.
- Don’t rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer.
- Slow down, stay in control and stay alert.
If you are involved in a collision with a deer, or any other animal, which results in personal injury to you or your passenger(s) and/or where the vehicle damage apparently exceeds $2,000, you must report the collision to police.
