Deer Collisions with State Farm – Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015

It’s a situation no driver wants to encounter – coming face to face with a deer while you’re driving. State Farm Insurance reports the odds a driver will have a claim from hitting a deer is one out of 169, but that likelihood more than doubles in the Fall, when deer collisions are most prevalent. State Farm Insurance agent Gamee Elliott, of Salisbury, says there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a statistic:

• Use extra caution in known deer zones
• Always wear your seatbelt
• At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams
• Avoid swerving when you see a deer
• Scan the road for deer and other danger signs
• Do not rely on devices such as deer whistle

There are also some deer facts all drivers should know:

• Deer are on all roads
• Deer are unpredictable
• Deer often move in groups
• Deer movement is most prevalent in the fall
• The hours between dusk and dawn are high risk times