Missouri drivers could face more than the usual dangers this weekend, with firearm deer hunting season opening Saturday and mating season in full swing.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpt. Scott White told Missourinet that deer activity—and roadway crossings—will spike.
“We tell people we can give a bunch of statistics and crash numbers, but the truth is you can just drive the highways now and see that those deer are definitely moving, which unfortunately leads to the crashes that we see,” said White.
White warns that deer will be on the move—and last year, nearly 3,000 crashes were linked to deer, including four deaths.
“When you play those numbers out, that’s one deer strike that occurs almost every three hours in the state,” said White. “And I can tell you from personal experience and so can the other troopers out there that many times those deer vehicle strikes, it can be just absolutely catastrophic, especially if they end up coming through that windshield.”
White told Missourinet that swerving to avoid a deer can lead to crashes far more serious than the collision itself.
“Just picture it going down the highway., a deer runs out in front of you,” said White. “Your first instinct is obviously to hit the brakes, but then it’s also to steer the wheel. We don’t want people steering off the roadway and then end up rolling over into a ditch or striking a tree. But then even more dangerous crossing that centerline and oncoming traffic, which results in those head on collisions.”
Cpt. White reminds drivers that if a deer is in the path, the safest move is to slow down as much as possible and keep control of the wheel. Jerking the wheel could turn a close call into a serious crash.
Missouri’s firearm deer hunting season is expected to draw more than 250,000 hunters statewide. The season runs through November 25th.
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