FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Local authorities say this time of year leads to an uptick in car vs. deer accidents.
Indiana State Police Sergeant Matt Ames says that it is largely caused by fields being harvested and mating season. Deer hunting season is also right around the corner, and Ames says that certain times of day have a higher risk for drivers to encounter a deer on the road.
“The deer are definitely on the move in the morning hours and then in the dusk hours,” Ames said. “INDOT, especially on the interstate, has the deer crossing signs, those are areas where we worked several car vs. deer accidents, and those are areas where you definitely need to be slowing down and making sure that you’re looking for the shining of their eyes so that you know there’s a deer in the roadway, or possibly on the side of the roadway and be able to slow down for that.”
Ames says if you see a deer and you know you are going to hit it, it’s important to hit the brakes as hard as you can to slow down before impact.
“We ask you not to go into the other lane or try to run off the side of the roadway, going into the other lane allows you to get involved in another vehicle, running off the roadway also allows more damage to your vehicle,” Ames said. “Whether it can be a rollover due to the ditch, running into a telephone pole or running into a tree. Something that could have been as simple as property damage with a deer could turn into a personal injury accident or a fatal accident here in the State of Indiana.”
Ames says if you do strike a deer, pull over to the correct side of the roadway, turn on your hazard lights, and call 9-1-1.
