Police Offer Defensive Driving Tips - Against Deer
Police Offer Defensive Driving Tips â Against Deer
Police Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde is urging motorist caution while driving, considering that the physical activity of deer will increase through the fall and winter months.
During their mating season, deer are on the move at the times of day when they are least visible, the sergeant said in a prepared statement.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics indicate that about 150 people die annually due to vehicular collisions with deer.
According to town police statistics, there were 67 deer collisions in 2010, there also were 67 such accidents in 2009, and 99 such cases in 2008.
 Sgt Bahamonde offers a series of driving safety tips to motorists in view of increased deer activity.
*Deer tend to be most active between 6 and 9 pm.
*As much as possible, motorists should drive with their high-beam headlamps on at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
*Deer typically travel in groups. If you see one deer, it is likely that other deer are nearby.
*Motorists should not rely on using vehicle-mounted deer whistles as deer deterrents because such devices may not be effective in warding off deer.
*Do not swerve to avoid a deer. If it seems inevitable that a vehicle will collide with a deer, attempting to swerve out of the way may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Such swerving may put the vehicle into the path of an oncoming vehicle, cause the vehicle to strike a tree, or cause the vehicle to overturn. Thus, do not swerve to avoid a deer.
*If a collision with a deer cannot be avoided, the motorist should slow the vehicle and firmly grasp the steering wheel with both hands. The driver should take their foot off the brake at the time of impact to allow the vehicle to roll over the deer. Otherwise, the impact may cause the deer to rise upward and possibly crash through the windshield.
If a deer is either injured or killed in a collision, motorists are asked to report the incident to police at 203-426-5841, according to the sergeant.