Cincinnati Police
District 2

Crime Prevention

Preventing Car Theft

The following information is provided for informational services only.

This month's topic is: Crashes Involving Deer

Collisions with animals, particularly deer, represent more than four percent of all crashes in the United States and killed 111 people in 1995 according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS), so the Foundation decided to look into this issue further. An analysis of state data from Alabama showed that the most dangerous times of day for deer-related crashes are in the early evening and early morning -- the most active time for deer. The most dangerous time of year is during the mating season, in November and December. While FARS reported 275,000 collisions with animals in 1995, the Insurance Information Institute, a New York based group that looks into various insurance-related issues, estimates that there are 500,000 collisions each year with deer alone, each costing the insurance industry approximately $2,000 per claim. According to the I.I.I., the deer population has swelled from approximately 10 million in the 1980s to more than 20 million today.

So, what can you do to avoid hitting an animal yourself? First, pay attention to animal crossing signs. They're probably there because other motorists have had crashes in the area. Also, obey the speed limit and keep a close watch for deer around dusk and at dawn. Don't over-drive your headlights at night -- i.e., control your speed so that you will have time to react to something when it appears in your headlights. If you see a deer in the road, honk your horn -- flashing your lights might cause the animal to further fixate on your vehicle. Keep in mind that if you think you are going to hit the animal, it's often better to brake than to swerve; swerving can confuse the animal as to which way to run and possibly result in a worse collision with a fixed object such as a tree or an oncoming vehicle. Ideally, you should brake until just prior to the point of impact, then accelerate to lift your hood and prevent the animal from flying up into your windshield. Sound tricky? Well, we thought you should know.

What kind of vehicles are most often involved in animal-related crashes? According to statistics culled from the University of Albama's Crash Analysis Reporting Environment (CARE), automobiles are involved in about 61 percent of the crashes followed by pickup trucks, which are involved in 26 percent of crashes. Vans are involved in 7 percent, while tractor trailers are involved in only two percent.

Reported Crashes Involving Animals in
Alabama, 1995, by Month of Crash

Used with permission from and research compiled by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1996

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Updated on December 02, 1999
Created on December 02, 1999