Deer On The Move; Traffic Crashes On The Rise
Police around the Four States have been busy responding to car crashes involving deer, which are on the move during peak mating season.
Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves says “We have been seeing an uptick in crashes, especially around dawn and dusk. Last year we saw an increase in car crashes involving deer, investigating 204 compared to 184 in 2017.”
Sgt. John Lueckenhoff with the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the best advise he can give is to simply buckle up because you can never predict when a wild animal will run out in front of your car.
“We’ve 673 traffic deaths in the state as of yesterday. 60 percent of those people were unbelted. About fifty percent of those unbuckled people were in survivable crashes. They lost their life simply because of being unbelted.”
Keep you and your family safe by also following these tips provided by law enforcement:
- Scan road ditches. If you see a deer, slow down and continue with caution.
- Drive with your high beams on if there is no oncoming traffic.
- Do not take evasive action to avoid a deer. Generally, it’s better and safer to hit the animal than swerve to miss it.
- Deer typically travel in groups. If you see one, expect others.
- If you strike a deer, pull all the way off the roadway, activate your emergency flashers, stay in the vehicle, and contact your local law enforcement agency.
- Always buckle up.