You are here:
THE DANGERS OF WHITE TAILED DEER
White-tailed deer have long been enjoyed for their grace and beauty and respected for their wiles and cunning by nearly everyone. Rare is the individual who has not had the opportunity to stare in wonder and amazement as a majestic whitetail seemed to materialize out of thin air, either walk nonchalantly or run with its flag waving through a field, only to disappear as mysteriously as it first appeared.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 1.5 million car accidents with deer each year that result in $1 billion in vehicle damage, about 150 human fatalities, and over 10,000 personal injuries.
An insurance study in 2005 listed the worst states for deer collisions based upon claims filed as:
1. Pennsylvania
2. Michigan
3. Illinois
4. Ohio
5. Georgia
6. Minnesota
7. Virginia
8. Indiana
9. Texas
10. Wisconsin
Tips to avoid deer accidents:
1. Be attentive when driving, and slow down!
2. Use high-beam headlights when driving in deer territory to increase your vision and will increase your time to react to a deer hiding on the roadside who decides to jump in front of your car.
3. The use of car mounted 'deer whistles' do not seem to affect deer and may result in drivers being less aware. These devices don't work! Watch out!
4. If a collision with a deer is unavoidable, it is usually best not to swerve to avoid it, brake and hold the wheel straight. Turning the wheel to avoid the deer may result in a worse accident with another car, or cause the car to spin out of control resulting in a much more serious crash.
WOOD COUNTY TRAFFIC CRASHES INVOLVING DEER
| Severity | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| Fatal Crashes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Injury Crashes | 7 | 12 | 17 |
| Property Damage Crashes | 418 | 399 | 355 |
| Unknown Severity | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 427 | 412 | 373 |
Information courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
