(The Center Square) – More deer-involved vehicle crashes happen in November than in any other month.
Fall is the breeding season for deer. White tail does are in heat and the bucks are out chasing them.
Deer area warning signs are posted in known deer crossing areas because deer are creatures of habit. Slow down. Stay alert. Be prepared to slam on the brakes, especially early in the evening and early in the morning.
Four people in Illinois were killed in deer-related crashes last year. More than 629 injuries were reported. More than 14,529 crashes were reported.
When drivers see a deer in the roadway, the first impulse is to swerve to avoid hitting the animal. Don’t go with the impulse to veer, said Paul Wappel, public information officer for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“Brake as hard as possible. Drive as straight as possible. Don’t swerve. Hang onto the steering wheel and take the hit,” he said.
Studies show that proceeding straight gives the driver the best control of the vehicle.
“Don’t go hard left or hard right. Let the deer glance off the vehicle,” Wappel advised.
In a swerve, it is easier for a driver to lose control and go off the road or hit a car in another lane. The odds of surviving an accident are better when hitting an animal than they are if you hit another car.
A swerve can confuse the deer. They can bolt or double back and try to get away. There may be other deer coming along behind.
When you brake, the damage from a collision is reduced. The collision damage is worse in a swerve because the hit is harder.
More than 70% of crashes involving deer happen in rural areas, with most occurring at twilight or nighttime. Forty percent of deer-involved crashes in Illinois happen in October, November, and December.
If you hit a deer, pull over. Turn on the hazard lights and call 9-1-1. Never approach an injured deer.
The top 10 Illinois counties for crashes involving deer in 2022:
1. Cook 542
2. Madison 396
3. McHenry 351
4. Lake 350
5. Will 344
6. Peoria 323
7. Fulton 313
8. Kane 286
9. Sangamon 282
10. Macoupin 271
For information on how to claim a deer involved in a crash, or to report possession of a deer killed in a crash, go to the IDNR website.
