Motorists cautioned on deer-vehicle collisions

Deer activity reaches peak during fall breeding season

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner John P. Cahill urges motorists to drive extra carefully during the next three months as deer activity reaches its peak due to the start of fall breeding season and deer-vehicle collisions occur more commonly.

"New York state's bountiful deer population provides outstanding recreational opportunities for hunters and wildlife watchers but it can also present undesirable conditions for motorists," Cahill said. "Using extreme caution when driving between October and December can help reduce the number of collisions with deer, protecting both New Yorkers and the wildlife that we are fortunate to have in the Empire State."

Nearly two-thirds of all accidents involving deer each year occur between October and December. DEC records show that the majority of deer-vehicle collisions happen between the hours of 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. When daylight savings time ends in the fall, the heightened deer activity coincides with times of high commuter traffic volume.

Law enforcement agencies reported that 10,482 deer were killed due to collisions with vehicles during 1999; just above the five-year average of 10,466 deer. A 1990 Cornell University study found that as many as six deer may be killed by vehicles each year for every incident reported to authorities by motorists, bring the total estimated number of deer killed by vehicles in 1999 to more than 62,000.

Motorists can reduce their chances of striking a deer by taking a few precautions:

•Use extreme caution when driving at dawn and dusk when visibility is especially poor.

•Slow down when approaching deer standing near roadsides as deer have a tendency to bolt at the last minute, possibly onto the roadway.

•If you see a deer cross the road, use extreme caution because others usually follow close behind.

•Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn oncoming drivers after you see deer near a roadway;

•Use caution and be alert when passing through marked deer crossing areas as these places are common sites for deer-vehicle collisions.

•Always wear your seat belt. Statistics show that most people injured or killed in deer-related collisions were not wearing seat belts.

Reported deer-vehicle collisions for area counties for 1999 are: Genesee - 124; Orleans - 119; Monroe - 435.