Everything You Need To Know About Automobile Accidents And Deer

Automotive Blog

According to State Farm, there were 1.25 million automobile and deer collision insurance claims filed between July of 2014 and June of 2015 in the United States. These claims cost an average of $4,135 per claim. Statistics also show that deer accidents send roughly 10,000 people to the hospital and kill roughly another 200 people every year. The question is: what can drivers do to reduce these statistics and what should you do if you do get in an accident with a deer?

Try Not to Hit The Deer In The First Place

Obviously, the best solution to this problem is not to hit the deer in the first place. It is safe to assume that if you see one deer there will be more. Lastly, it is important to know deer are primarily nocturnal creatures. Slow down and take extra care to watch the road when driving in areas known to have deer at night to avoid colliding with them.

The Right Way to Hit a Deer

If you find yourself in a situation where hitting a deer is unavoidable, it can be helpful to know the best way to hit the deer to do minimal damage to yourself and your vehicle. You want to avoid the deer crashing through the windshield as the impact of the deer hooves could kill you. As tempting as it might be, you also do not want to swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road into another object to avoid hitting the deer. Just firmly apply your brakes, keep a tight grip on the steering wheel, and bring your automobile to a controlled stop.

Steps to Take After Hitting a Deer

After colliding with a deer, you should call the local authorities as soon as possible. It is important to note if the collision resulted in an obstruction of traffic. Ideally, you should move your vehicle to a safe location. Whether or not you can move your vehicle to a safe location depends on whether or not the deer is a threat to passing vehicles. Unless you are absolutely sure the deer is dead, you should avoid moving the deer off the road. If it isn't dead, it is going to be both scared and agitated. If the disoriented deer were to get up, it could seriously injury you. If the deer is in the road and you are not sure if it is dead or not comfortable moving it, put your vehicle in front of the deer and turn your hazard lights on. This will protect other drivers from driving over the deer as well.

Remember to take pictures, document everything, and examine your vehicle before leaving the scene. You want to make sure your vehicle is safe to drive and you want to note any damages for your insurance company. Once the local authorities arrive to the scene to clean up the deer and any debris from your vehicle, you should take the vehicle to an auto body and collision mechanic for a full inspection. To find out more, visit a website like http://www.centralaveautobody.com.

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31 December 2015