Fall is the season for a lot of things: Football, basketball, and also means deer season. State farm insurance estimates there will be more than a million large animals, like deer, hit by cars in the coming year.
And according to the Insurance Institute for highway safety, 189 people were killed in crashes involving animals in 2016. Guilford County has the second highest rate of animal-related crashes in the state.
So here's what you can do to stay safe:
- Slow down at peak deer times. They're most active around dawn and between 6 pm and 9 pm.
- Brake don't swerve. Swerving to avoid the deer can put you at risk for hitting another car or losing control. Slow down as quickly and safely as you can. Your odds of surviving will increase.
- And assume they're not alone. So if you see one deer there's usually more. They frequently travel in groups.
Two final things. Those deer whistles you can attach to your cars are only so effective.
Animals are still unpredictable. There's no guarantee one of these will keep deer away.
And finally, make sure you buckle up. 60% of people killed in animal-related collisions weren't wearing their seatbelts.