RALEIGH, N.C. — Drivers across North Carolina are heading into the riskiest weeks of the year for hitting a deer, as the annual breeding season keeps animals on the move during morning and evening commutes.
Wildlife biologists call it the rut. Does come into breeding condition and bucks roam widely in search of them, which sends more deer across roads than at any other time. In eastern North Carolina the main rut falls in the first week of November, according to the state Wildlife Resources Commission, and does and bucks often travel together.
That pairing catches drivers off guard. A doe may cross first with a buck trailing well behind, so state wildlife officials advise treating one deer as a sign that others are close by and slowing down instead of speeding up once the first animal clears the road.
Timing makes the problem worse. Deer move most around dawn and dusk, the same hours as peak commuting traffic, and white-tailed deer have settled comfortably into suburbs and older city neighborhoods with plenty of trees and shrubs.
Across the country, the last three months of the year account for 40% to 44% of collisions between cars and deer, and North Carolina ranks with Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas and Ohio among the states with the most deer crashes, according to the state Department of Insurance.
The department recommends using high beams when traffic allows, keeping extra following distance and braking firmly while staying in the lane if a hit cannot be avoided. Swerving can put a car into oncoming traffic or a tree. Wildlife officials add that honking or flashing lights can freeze a blinded deer in place.
Insurance rules reward holding the lane. Comprehensive coverage generally pays for damage from striking a deer, and no insurance points are assigned for hitting an animal. A swerve that ends in a collision with another vehicle or object falls under collision coverage and can bring points and higher premiums.
Anyone who hits a deer or other large animal should pull over safely, turn on hazard lights, call 911 if there are injuries or road hazards, and photograph the damage before washing the car. The Department of Insurance answers consumer questions by phone at 855-408-1212 during weekday business hours.
Section: More Greensboro NC crime news
Filed under: Greensboro NC Traffic News
