ARKANSAS, USA — It’s deer hunting season but bows, arrows and guns aren’t the only weapons deer face, cars kill countless deer every year and they are already out in full force.
“There is about 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions every year nationwide,” Nick Chabarria said.
AAA says November is the peak season for deer collisions here in the natural state because of there being fewer daylight hours and it being mating and hunting season for deer. The best way to avoid a deer collision is to stay attentive behind the wheel and limiting distractions like your cellphone or talking to passengers.
“As well as driving a speed that’s appropriate for the road conditions. Of course, we know that the faster you are going the longer it’s going to take you to break should an animal run out into the middle of the roadway. So, making sure especially in wet conditions or less than ideal conditions to slow down,” Chabarria said.
If there is a way for you to avoid hitting a deer that’s your best option, but if you can’t avoid it do not swerve because that can cause you to drive into oncoming traffic or off the road. Spokesman for triple a, Nick Chabarria says drivers should grip the steering wheel with both hands.
“You want to let off the brake a little bit prior to impact and the reason for that is a lot of times during hard breaking vehicles, the front end will kind of angle down and that could cause the animal to roll up onto the hood and toward the windshield,” Chabarria said.
If you’ve ever wondered who cleans up the deer on the side of the road, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission if it’s not in the middle of the roadway they leave it up to nature to run its’ course.
The commission says while it might be unpleasant to look at, if they picked up every deer on the side of the road, that would be a full-time job. Randy Zellers says if you kill a deer with your car it is yours to keep even if you don’t have a hunting license and if you do a license you, don’t have to use one of your deer tags.
“We do ask that you call our radio room at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to put down a record of that deer being hit by a car, that way a wildlife officer for some reason does check you and he sees deer in your freezer then he knows that deer was taken through that vehicle collision,” Zellers said.
AAA suggests that if you do hit deer to call the police and insurance company to make sure they are covered if they do hit a deer. Current supply chain issues will cause setbacks in car parts, if you do have damage and need car parts it will likely take a lot longer to get it fixed.