Harvest, hunting and mating season make this the time of year when deer are more active in Missouri compared to the rest of the year. State Highway Patrol Cpt. John Hotz said motorists should pay extra attention.
White-Tailed deer (photo courtesy; Missouri Department of Conservation/Noppadol Paothong)
“The busiest months are October and November each year, with the largest number of those taking place in November,” said Hotz.
Last year, more than 3,700 traffic crashes involving deer occurred in Missouri. Two of those resulted in fatalities and more than 370 in injuries. Hotz said overreacting to an oncoming deer can be very dangerous.
“Typically in years past what happens is a person sees a deer, they overcorrect and drive off the right side of the road. If they’re not wearing a seatbelt, they are ejected or partially ejected from that car and then they’re killed in that crash,” said Hotz.
Deer tend to travel in groups. If you see a doe or a buck, there’s a good chance others are following.
Most car versus deer accidents happen between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.