Deer in the headlights? Safety tips to avoid a collision

By Bob Carruth
Risk Control Manager

Spring brings out the romantic in all of us. It is the season of love. Teenagers, who at times seem to be on another planet anyway, really get the glazed-eyed look when smitten with romance. Flowers are blooming. Proms are held. Weddings are planned. Right about now you are probably asking yourself, "Has Bob lost his marbles? Doesn't he realize Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are in short order?"

I say all this because fall brings about romance in a young buck's heart. The change in season brings about changes in the behavior of our fine four-legged friends, and the movement of both bucks and does increases dramatically. It is mating season for deer, and the young buck sometimes has his mind on other things. This is why deer hunting season is held in the fall.

Now you are really scratching your head, thinking that maybe being a county commissioner can have a detrimental effect on one's mental health after 12 years. So, what does the love life of a deer have to do with safety and risk management? Plenty.

Since 1999, the most prevalent cause of property damage to county vehicles has come from collisions with animals. Most of the time the accident involves a deer, but we have also seen bird strikes and even bears bring damage. Most affected by these incidents are our law enforcement and other public safety vehicles, as they pretty much operate around the clock and often find themselves in more isolated areas vs. centers of population (although I did witness a deer running across traffic into a car in midtown Raleigh a few months ago).

Our Liability and Property Pool loss statistics show that the most common time of year for deer strikes is between October and January, which also happens to coincide with the prime mating time and hunting season. Note these facts regarding deer movement during this time of year:

• Deer are most active during the hours immediately before and after dawn and dusk.
• Deer often move in packs – mainly does and fawns, but perhaps bucks.
• Deer normally congregate near water and food sources – river bottoms and farmland are common attractions. You can view the density of your county deer population at www.ncwildlife.org/wildlife_species_con/Deer/DeerDensityMap_2010.pdf.
• Deer are believed to move more when humidity or rain is present – although heavy downpours discourage movement.

What precautions should we follow?

Before giving up and just accepting the "inevitable" (especially if you live near the Roanoke, Cape Fear or Yadkin/Pee-Dee river basins), take steps to reduce the chance of an incident occurring – or if one does occur, lessen its impact:

1. Practice situational awareness: This is true whenever you are driving, but especially so during the danger times previously noted, or when traveling through open farmland or near river or creek bottoms. Awareness includes continually scanning in a 60 degree zone in front of your vehicle – from wood line to wood line, or from fence to fence. Also, look ahead as far as possible.
2. Slow down: A car traveling at 60 mph is moving at 88 feet per second. For 99 percent of all drivers, it takes about two seconds just to perceive and react to danger, and another two to three seconds to stop. In this time, the car will travel further than the length of a football field. That means that you will be unable to react to anything that occurs in the zone in front of you. Drive faster and this zone gets longer. Drive slower and it shortens. Reducing your speed by 5-10 mph will allow you to increase your reaction distance and perhaps avoid a crash.
3. Use your horn: When you see a deer, slow down even more and start blowing your horn. Proceed slowly until you pass or the deer darts off. Noises will scare them away. Do not flash your headlights, especially at night. This will only cause deer to freeze – and perhaps dart in your path at the last moment.
4. Don't swerve: Although your instincts may tell you to swerve, don't. If you swerve, especially at highway speeds, you are going in one of two directions: off the road or into the other lane. Neither is worth it. Yes, your car may be damaged and you may get injured if you run into a deer, but the chances of injury or death are much greater if you leave your lane. Again, if you have practiced good situational awareness and have slowed down, you can more easily react to any incident that occurs.
5. Install grill guards: Grill guards may not prevent a deer strike, but they will lessen the impact of a collision. The average cost to repair a vehicle after a deer strike is $2,500. By installing guards, you may be replacing just headlights instead of a bumper, fenders and a radiator.

As we enter this prime time for deer movement, a few precautions and personal attention will go a long way toward reducing this nuisance that causes thousands of dollars in direct loss each year to our counties – and thousands more in the indirect impact to our county vehicles and operations. And don't be surprised if you see a buck carrying a bouquet of flowers – he is in the mood for love.

As Risk Control Manager for the NCACC, Bob Carruth manages the operation of the Risk Control Team for the Risk Management Pools. The team assists members with development of safety policies and programs and identification of liability exposures and controls. Carruth is a Certified Safety Professional and is certified as an Associate – Risk Management. A current Cabarrus County commissioner, he serves on the Board of Directors for Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare and the Water & Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County.