Deer-auto accidents a problem, but expected to decline

This time of year is the peak for deer-auto collisions in Arkansas.
This time of year is the peak for deer-auto collisions in Arkansas.

This time of year is a peak period for deer-auto collisions.

Reports of these accidents place Arkansas in the top quarter of the United States for such crash risks. However, these projections are inherently low because of the number of these crashes that are not reported, according to a press release from State Farm.

Data collected by State Farm states that American motorists were involved in 1.25 million deer-auto collisions that cost nearly $5 billion in a year’s time, ending June 30. State Farm used claim information alongside total registered drivers to project the estimates.

The press release also states that uninsured motorist collisions and collisions involving drivers with liability insurance only were also omitted. Arkansas is in the top quarter for crash risk ratios with 1 in 107 drivers hitting a deer. The average claim is nearly $3,900.

The spike in such collisions is caused by the deer mating season and the rut, the set of behaviors that coincide with mating season, in which deer are much more active. However, the collision surge often quiets down after the end of hunting season, partly because hunters’ harvests have suppressed the deer population.

“This time of year, why it peaks, is just because of the rut, and they’re more active,” said Cory Gray, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s deer program coordinator. “The population is fixing to be at its lowest. The peak breeding in Arkansas in general is around Thanksgiving, so we’ve passed the peak of it, and now we’re on the tail end of it. So, theoretically, the collisions should start decreasing.”

Populations of deer go through a cycle every year, Gray said. There are periods when drivers are more at risk than during others. This is largely because of the mating cycle and gestation periods of the animals.

“Throughout the year, the population builds in the spring and summer months because we’re adding fawns,” Gray said. “That’s when the fawns are born, and that population is increasing. Then we go into the hunting season, and the population is at its highest. We may have over a million deer at that time. We don’t know how many. Then the hunters will come into the woods, and they’ll take 200,000 animals out, and then [the population] rebuilds in the spring.”

Gray recommends overall driving safety and alertness to help curb collisions with deer. He advises that drivers not flash their cars’ lights or honk horns at the animals. These tactics are known to make deer panic and run, which in turn puts drivers in danger. Some people use deer whistles that when affixed to a vehicle emit a high-pitched sound at high speeds.

“Research has not shown those to be really effective,” Gray said. “Some believe that they actually spook the deer. You know, deer can hear this, and they don’t know where it’s coming from, so they want to run, you know. So we don’t recommend the deer whistles.”

If a deer is struck by a car and killed, the driver has a right to keep and harvest the deer. Drivers can document the kill with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by calling (800) 482-9262, or document the accident with their insurance agencies. Any deer killed in a collision will not count against a hunter’s season limit.

Ed LaSyone, State Farm agent in Heber Springs, said his office sees an influx of deer-related claims around this time every year.

“We have a very high frequency of deer claims,” he said, “especially this time of year when the hunting season starts and the deer are more active.”

LaSyone said it has been years since he has personally been in an auto-deer collision, but the deer population is significant in Heber Springs, and he said he has looked out of his window at home and seen deer grazing in his yard.

The claims are not just outside the city, LaSyone said. Claims related to deer collisions are not uncommon within the Heber Springs city limits, but an urban deer hunt started by the city several years ago has helped reduce the deer population.

“The deer population here in town has thinned out significantly,” he said.

LaSyone said sometimes the cars involved in auto-deer collisions are totaled, and it is important to keep an eye out for anything crossing the road, especially when driving at night.

“Our advice to our customers is to be vigilant with their driving habits,” he said. “Even when you’re doing that, the deer can collide with your vehicle. Deer can cause an unbelievable amount of damage.”

Gray has been involved in collisions as well. He warns that deer can suddenly appear without warning, so alertness is the key to preventing harm from these deer-auto crashes.

“I mean, I’ve hit deer myself and never knew they were around until they were just, boom, right there,” Gray said.

Although a lot of creative solutions have been proposed to lessen the number of deer-auto accidents, many have proved unsuccessful, leaving drivers with little more than their own wits to protect them from animal traffic. Arkansas is not in the top five for highest-risk ratio and falls well short of Pennsylvania’s 10 percent share of all deer-auto collisions.

“There have been several things looked at. Some states have tried flashing lights on the side of the roads, just trying to reduce [accidents with deer],” Gray said. “You know, Arkansas definitely has a problem with deer-vehicle collisions, but we’re nowhere near some of the Northeastern states. They have a very hard time with them.”

Drivers in Arkansas will likely see reduced risk of deer-auto collisions after the end of the year, but the lull will only last until spring. Overall driving safety and alertness may be the only proven deterrents to deer-auto collisions, Gray said.

Staff writer Morgan Acuff can be reached at (501) 918-4508 or morgan@syncweekly.com. Angela Spencer contributed to this story and can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.

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