Deer-Vehicle Collision Season in Full Swing

(KNSI) – Not just hunters need to be on the lookout for deer this time of year. This is peak deer-vehicle collision season, too.

A Minnesota Department of Transportation-sponsored research project earlier in the decade estimated there are 40,000 deer-vehicle collisions per year across Minnesota. Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck shared the most dangerous time of day for those collisions, “Especially around dawn and dusk and into the evening hours, if you have a full moon, you’re going to want to be really watching those ditches and watching ahead of you.”

Officials recommend to drive at safe speeds and always be buckled up. If you see a deer in the road, don’t swerve to avoid it. Swerving can cause you to lose control and veer off the road or into oncoming traffic. Sheriff Heck cautions, “Your best defense is being alert, keeping your eyes ahead of you, having those distractions put away. You can travel the length of several football fields looking down at your phone. There’s a lot of deer that can be hiding there in that time.”

See a complete list of deer-vehicle safety tips here.

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