Drivers: Slow down for deer

From Prince William County Police and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries:

Autumn is here and – along with colorful leaves, crisp air, and shorter days – it means Virginia’s white-tailed deer are on the move. Fall is the breeding season for deer. Consequently, they are more active now than at any other time of the year.

In addition to more deer activity, motorists will soon be commuting in the dark, increasing the likelihood of encountering a deer on the road. While less than two percent of vehicle fatalities and injuries involve deer collisions in Virginia, hitting a deer can cause considerable damage to both people and property.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) recommends the following tips to drivers to avoid hitting a deer:
1.When driving, particularly at night (from dusk to dawn), slow down and be attentive. If you see one deer, likely there will be others. If one deer crosses the road as you approach, others may follow.

2.Deer habitually travel the same areas; therefore, the Virginia Department of Transportation has installed deer-crossing signs. Use caution when you see these signs.

3.Drivers should apply brakes or stop, if necessary, to avoid hitting a deer; however, never swerve out of the lane to miss a deer. A collision with another vehicle, tree or other object is likely to be more serious than hitting a deer.

4.Rely on your caution and your own senses, not deer whistles you can buy for your car, because these devices have not been shown to be effective.

5.Any person involved in a collision with a deer or bear while driving a motor vehicle, should immediately report the accident to a Conservation Police Officer or other law enforcement officer in the county or city where the accident occurred, if the collision kills the animal.

6.Drivers who collide with a deer or bear, thereby killing the animal, may keep it for their own use if they report the accident to a law enforcement officer where the accident occurred, and provided the officer views the animal and gives the person a possession certificate.

For more information, see this video PSA on deer/vehicle safety.