Look out for Bambi

If you live on the hill then your chances of seeing a deer is pretty high.  Here are a few tips to avoid hitting a deer.

Not all deer use a crosswalk

1. Accidents involving deer peak in May, October and November.
2. Worst times of day are around sunrise and between sunset and midnight.
3. A deer can appear almost instantly – nature makes them hard to see and they don’t follow the florescent orange dress code!
4. Use high beam head-lights when it’s dark, but dip them if you see a deer, otherwise it may freeze in your path. Take care not to dazzle other drivers though.
5. If a deer appears suddenly it’s safer to continue on your normal track rather than swerve or brake hard to try to avoid it. Sudden manoeuvres can result in a loss of control and increase the risk of hitting a tree or another vehicle.
6. If you do hit a deer, try to stop somewhere safe. If you can’t then do your best to ensure that your accident isn’t hit by other vehicles.
7. Report the accident to the police who will contact someone who can help the injured deer.
8. Bear in mind that if you miss the deer (or any other animal), but hit something else, it will be very hard to prove that the deer ever existed.

How to Hit A Deer

If you realize that you are going to hit a deer, what can you do? If the deer goes through the windshield, it can kill you with its dangerous hooves. Is there a proper way to hit a deer? Some people will tell you to speed up into the deer in order to point the hood upwards. You should not do this. Here is what to do:

From the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Although deer-vehicle collisions can cause extensive vehicle damage, most serious injuries and fatalities are caused by drivers taking evasive actions,” said Kathy Swanson, director of Driver and Vehicle Services with the Department of Public Safety. “Drivers need to avoid swerving into oncoming traffic or leaving the road which can cause them to hit a tree or other object. It’s safer to hit a deer than to risk hitting another vehicle or a fixed object such as a tree,” she said. “Apply your brakes firmly, hold onto the steering wheel and bring your vehicle to a controlled stop.”