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10/29/2018 – We decided to drive around Owasso this weekend, looking for the best spots for Fall Foliage.  What we found instead were deer, and lots of them!

The farther east in Owasso you go, the more deer we saw, which makes sense since there are more open spaces.  That said, we have seen deer wandering down the street in our Elm Creek neighborhood as well.

As part of our job is monitoring police scanner frequencies, we are hearing more and more deer related traffic accidents.

Deer vs. Car Statistics

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA) recently conducted a study concerning the increasing dangers from deer-related vehicle accidents. Deer-related car accidents have consistently risen over the years due to increasing deer populations and destruction of their habitat.

  • There are approximately 1.5 million deer-related car accidents annually
  • The cost of these accidents results in over $1 billion dollars in vehicle damage
  • There are around 175-200 fatalities every year and 10,000 injuries
  • The majority of these accidents occur between October and December, but can happen year round
  • The vast majority of deer-related accidents occur in the Midwest
  • Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio have been in the top ten states for fatal deer

Preventing Deer and Car Collisions

Deer can appear suddenly and without warning, but knowing how to react and where and when they are most likely to strike can greatly reduce your chances of being involved in an accident.

Don’t Swerve

The leading cause of accidents, injuries, and deaths from deer-related accidents is when vehicles swerve in an attempt to avoid hitting a deer. Swerving can result in vehicles moving into oncoming traffic, crashing into trees and other objects, or evening rolling over. While it may be against a driver’s first instinct, the safest thing to do is slow down as much as possible and let your vehicle strike the deer. Instincts tell us to avoid an obstruction in the road, but if you can train yourself to not swerve to avoid deer in the road you will keep yourself, your passengers, and other drivers much safer.

Deer Crossing Signs are There for a Reason

Pay attention to posted deer crossing signs. These signs are placed in areas known for high deer traffic. It is important to note that even if there is no posted deer crossing sign it is important to remain vigilant as deer may appear anywhere.

Know How Deer Travel

While deer can be active any time of the day, the majority of deer-related car accidents occur early in the morning and again starting at dusk and during the evening. It is important to pay special attention during 6 and 9 P.M.

It is also important to always be aware that deer mostly move in packs, and that when you spot one deer, it is likely that there are more deer nearby.

Use High Beams When Possible

High beams should be used at night as much as possible to spot deer in the road ahead or deer that may be lurking along the side of the road. Make sure to use your high beams only when no other oncoming traffic is visible and make sure to turn them off if a vehicle approaches.

Deer see slightly differently than do humans. Deer color vision is based upon two types of cones which sense the shorter and middle wavelengths of light. This is called dichromatic vision. Deer, and most game animals, have light sensitivity in the approximate range of below 320 nm to 640 nm. This means that they cannot see red or green, but can see UV (ultraviolet). Thus, what appears to humans to be a very bright, blazing orange is seen as possibly a grey/dull yellow by deer. Conversely, a deer’s ability to see light at higher frequencies means they can see UV-blue light that is virtually invisible to humans, possibly better than humans see blazing orange.

The ability to see in the UV spectrum truly sets deer and animal vision apart from humans. UV light is generally damaging to eyes, particularly in the long term. Hence, a pigmentation is present in human eyes that helps filter out UV light. Deer have no such filter and see well in the UV spectrum. UV light – invisible to humans – can literally glow to deer.