WASHINGTON, D. C. (Tuesday, November 6, 2018) –– Why did the deer cross the road?” It is not a riddle. This time of year deer are “looking for love in all the wrong places.” It is the height of deer rutting season. White-tailed deer can jump almost eight feet high, and a running deer can leap 25 to 30 feet, and more, in a single bound. That’s bad news when they are looking to mate, and end up leaping into your windshield or directly into the path of your oncoming vehicle, giving you a “split-second or less to react.” Dead deer lying on the highway provide mute testimony.  “A deer can come out of nowhere.” Deer have been known to sprint into Metro stations in the area and run into someone at a bus stop in the District, and knock them out cold.

“Pardon our French.” Deer, especially the male of the species, are literally going “buck wild.”  The rut is “triggered by shorter day-lengths” (a process known as “photoperiodism”). November is by far the biggest month for deer strikes. Peak breeding season occurs from November 10 to November 25, which is when most deer-vehicle collisions occur locally. It can happen in a blink of an eye. The final phase runs from November 26 to December 9. In a “frantic search” for mates, “bucks don’t even bother to eat” and they roam farther distances with only one thing on their minds. This is why deer-vehicles crashes spike this time of year. 

“Animals on the roadways cause hundreds of fatal crashes every year. Motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists really need to be extra alert no matter what road they’re traveling, but especially in rural and wooded areas,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “Remaining alert is an absolute must during deer mating season, as it is in every season of the year. Rush hours are also high risk times because they coincide with when deer are most active. First and foremost, always protect yourself by wearing a seat belt and removing all distractions behind the wheel.”

Virginia experienced 61,000 police-reported deer-vehicle crashes for the year ending June 30, 2016, according to a 2017 report by the Virginia Transportation Research Council. “An average of 32,200 deer-vehicle collisions occurred in Maryland during each of the past five years,” notes the 2016-2017 Maryland Annual Deer Report, which estimates “9,976 deer were killed by vehicles in Maryland in 2016.”

Virginia ranked in ninth place among the “top 10 states for animal loss claims” during 2017. Virginia experienced 18,348 animal loss claims during 2017 alone, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Virginia racked up “78,104 animal loss claims from 2014 through 2017,” the NICB reports. Nationwide, “the average repair bill of a car-deer collision was $4,179 during 2017,” the Insurance Information Institute reports. Lord have mercy: Approximately, 89 percent of all wildlife collisions in the United States occur on roads with two lanes.

“The chances of hitting a deer and the odds of having a run-in with other wildlife are particularly high during certain times of the year. If you hit an animal, including deer, be sure to take photos and contact your insurance company as soon as possible,” advised Kendall Bramble, Insurance Counselor, AAA Insurance. “Then there is the question of animal loss claims, which can be confusing to insurance clients and consumers alike. For example, if your vehicle hits a deer standing in the road, you might think that because the animal is stationary, the claim or loss falls under collision coverage. Actually, because the deer had the ability to move, the crash would be a comprehensive loss.”

Nationwide, a “total of 1,740,425 animal-related insurance claims were processed for the years 2014-2017,” the NICB says. “Of those claims, 1,739,687 — 99.9% — involved vehicles.” What is more, the “NICB says the actual number of incidents is likely much higher since many drivers do not choose to carry coverage for that type of event.”

These claims stemmed from crashes with a menagerie of animals, mostly deer, but also “raccoons, dogs, turkey and coyotes.” Drivers should also keep their eyes peeled for black bears, bobcats, foxes and other vermin and rodents. “Whether it is a deer, dog, moose or even a squirrel, animals on the

roadway are unexpected and their actions can be erratic and unpredictable, creating a dangerous situation.”

“If you are unfortunate enough to have a deer or wandering wildlife enter the highway in front of your car, it is best to hit the animal and not swerve to avoid it,” Townsend explained. “More serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to miss deer and lose control of their vehicle, leaving the road or veering into oncoming traffic.”

 White-tailed deer (“odocoileus virginianus”) are “seasonal breeders. During mating season, “white-tailed deer, especially bucks, are more active and less cautious than usual. This makes them easier to hunt, as well as more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles.” During breeding season drivers must be on the lookout for “all creatures great and small.”  Do vehicle-mounted deer horns and whistles work as advertised?

 Be Driving Prepared:

• Be especially attentive in early morning and evening hours. Many animals, especially deer, are most active from 5-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. – prime commuting times for many people.
• Pay attention to road signs. Yellow, diamond-shaped signs with an image of a deer indicate areas with high levels of deer activity.
• Keep your eyes moving back and forth. Continuously sweep your eyes across the road in front of you for signs of animals and movement. Animals may also be alongside the road, so make sure to look to the right and left, as well.
• Use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic. You can spot animals sooner. Sometimes the light reflecting off their eyes will reveal their location.
• Slow down, and watch for other deer to appear. Deer rarely travel alone, so if you see one, there are likely to be more nearby.
• One long blast. A long blast on your horn may frighten animals away from your vehicle.
• Use brakes if an impact is imminent. Don’t swerve. Stay in your lane. Swerving away from animals can confuse them so they don’t know which way to run. 
• Always wear a seatbelt. The chances of getting injured when hitting an animal are much higher if you were aren’t wearing a seatbelt.

                 “Deer populations have increased dramatically” in recent years. The white-tailed deer was “nearly eliminated in the early 1900s.” But thanks to a deer “reintroduction program” started in the 1930s in the Eastern United States and the on-going influence of Bambi, the 1942 Disney animated film, “deer populations have not only rebounded,” they have “increased dramatically.” So have collisions with the species.

Be Crash Prepared:

• Move your vehicle off the roadway to the shoulder, if possible, and call for law enforcement at *55. Make sure you tell the dispatcher if the animal or your vehicle is still in the road.
• Do not try to move the animal. An injured deer might panic and seriously injure you. Law enforcement or animal control officials can remove the animal from the road when they arrive.
• If in a congested area, stay inside the car with seat belts on to avoid injuries from secondary crashes. Do not stand near your vehicle – especially between your car and another one. Watch for approaching traffic.
• Take pictures to document the crash once the scene is secured from traffic.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.

A collision with a deer or other animal can put a serious dent in your vehicle, if not destroy it completely. It can also put a big bent in your wallet or pocketbook. A deer hit repair can cost between $2,000 and $5,000, on average. Unfortunately, most motorists, consumers, and policyholders don’t know the difference between collision automobile insurance coverage versus comprehensive auto insurance coverage when it comes to a collision with an animal. The misconceptions abound, explains AAA Insurance.

Hit A Deer? Is it Covered?

Collision vs. Comprehensive Auto Insurance Coverage

Collision coverage – Covers damage to your car as a result of hitting or being hit by another vehicle, or object such as a light post.  Collision coverage will not cover an auto-deer or other animal collision.

Comprehensive coverage – Covers damage to your vehicle resulting from incidents other than collision, such as theft or damage from flood, fire or animals.  Only comprehensive coverage will reimburse drivers for loss due to contact with animals, such as deer.

“With more development, deer are losing their space to roam, and when they do hit vehicles, they appear to be doing more damage,” explains Bramble.

Area roadways are teeming with nocturnal and diurnal animals. Some are “death-fakers” (a process called “thanatosis”).  It is also the time of year when we sing along with Loudon Wainwright III, “You got your dead skunk in the middle of the road, stinking to high heaven.” White-tailed deer and other wild things are unpredictable, so the sooner you see them in the roadway, the more time you will have to safely react.

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