Deer Me…Watch for Animals Crossing the Roads!
ByDeer Me…Watch for Animals Crossing the Roads!
Last week, while I was driving early on a rainy morning, a deer jumped out in front of my car. Without thinking, I slammed on my brakes, skidded on the slick roadway and prayed that the driver in the car behind me would not hit me! Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence and almost every driver has their own hair-razing story about near misses or colliding with animals as they dart in front of our cars.
With the days getting shorter, and the white-tail deer entering their mating season, officials with the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife are cautioning drivers to be especially alert while driving to avoid collisions with the animals.
While deer may cross roads at any time, they are most active during the dawn and dusk hours. Once daylight-saving time ends, many of us are commuting during peak deer activity. Deer are unpredictable. They typically move in family groups and cross single-file. In many instances, deer will wander closer to roads and may stop in the middle of a road, cross over and then re-cross. If you spot a deer, slow down and pay attention to sudden movement. If the deer doesn’t move, don’t go around it. Wait until the road is clear. And, if you spot one deer, be alert for others.
If you are traveling after dark, use high beams where there is no on-coming traffic. High beams will illuminate the eyes of the deer near the roads and provide you with more time to react.
Most of us can’t stand the thought of hitting an animal, but it is important to know that you shouldn’t swerve to avoid impact with a deer. Brake firmly, but stay in your lane. You are more likely to be killed or injured when you swerve to avoid a deer and instead collide with oncoming traffic or obstacles on the side of the road.
For more information about deer in New Jersey, visit the DEP’s Fish and Wildlife Web site: www.njfishandwildlife.com
Those damn deer are everywhere–just hit one last week. Luckily, not too much damage to my truck.
I hit a dead one not too long ago and it did some minor damage to my car. No one told me I should be looking out for dead ones, let alone the live ones.