When drivers and deer collide, it can be fatal for either or both parties.
So today, the Kansas Insurance Department issued a warning to keep an eye out for bucks and does while motoring during their fall mating season.
Bob Hanson, a spokesman for the agency, said drivers should be especially wary of darting deer from November to January and then again in the spring months of April and May.
Last year, six people died and 318 were injured in car-deer collisions in Kansas, according to Insurance Department statistics.
“The reality of driving on Kansas roads and highways this time of year is the possible encounter with a deer,” Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger said in a statement. “Be vigilant when you take the wheel.”
The commissioner’s office issued the following advice to avoid car/deer accidents:
• Stay alert, always wear seat belts and drive at a safe, sensible speed for conditions.
• Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road.
• Do not rely exclusively on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer.
• When driving at night, use high-beam headlights when there is no opposing traffic. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of deer on or near a roadway.
• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious accidents occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit other vehicles or lose control. Potentially, you will risk less injury by hitting the deer.
• If you see one deer, it is likely there are more close by.
• If the deer stays on the road, stop on the shoulder, put on your hazard lights and wait for the deer to leave the roadway; do not try to go around the deer while it is on the road.