Auto-deer collisions typically increase in November

It's that time of year when deer often wander onto roadways and pose danger to drivers.

It's white-tailed deer mating season - the rut - and bucks are chasing does. It's also hunting season, and clubs running dogs after deer play a role in forcing deer onto roadways.

"We think the percentage of deer involved in accidents being chased by dogs are very minor. But I'm sure it does play some small role," said Nelson Lafon, the state game department's Deer Project leader. "The number of accidents increases drastically in November, during the rut."

Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and State Farm Insurance indicate Virginia annually is ranked among the country's top 10 for deer-automobile collisions.

According to the administration, there are almost 1.5 million deer-related accidents in the country each year. In 2004 and 2005, Virginia wa s seventh among the continental 49 states. The accidents resulted in 150 deaths, 10,000 injuries and more than $1 billion in damages.

According to State Farm, which uses policy claims from a variety of insurance companies instead of law enforcement accident reports, Virginia was fifth in the nation last year with 54,135 claims. North Carolina was eighth with 43,658. Massachusetts topped the list with 104,676, followed by Pennsylvania's 102,166.

Lafon said numbers provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation, which come from law enforcement reports, show there were three deaths, 434 injuries and 5,753 reports of property damage in the Commonwealth last year because of collisions with deer. The biggest cause of serious deer-related accidents comes when drivers swerve to miss a deer in the road and hit an oncoming car, a tree or some other object.

The old adage suggests a motorist should hit the deer - that's better than hitting something else.

When a deer is in the road, apply the breaks slowly and steer straight ahead. Often the deer will run out of the way.

And when one deer crosses, there's a good chance several are about to follow.

The insurance company and traffic safety administration also said deer whistling devices - which claim to scare deer away from roadways - don't work.

"Awareness is the biggest thing," Lafon said. "It's that time of year again, and it's unavoidable. People just need to be very careful."

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com