High Volumes of Accidents Involving Deer

June 1 , 2018 | Car Accidents

With summer around the corner, many Wisconsinites will be hitting the roadways to enjoy the warmer weather. There will also be more motorcycles on the roadways. With higher volumes of traffic, drivers and riders should be extra vigilant and focused on the roadways to help ensure that they are not involved in an accident. Something that people may not realize is that June is the time of the year with the second most activity for deer.  Because of the increase in deer activity, the is a higher risk for accidents involving motor vehicles and deer.

June is a month of high volumes of deer activity because many female deer are searching for places to give birth and young deer begin to separate from their mothers. This means more deer will be on the move and thus more likely to wander into the roadways.Because of this, drivers of both motor vehicles and motorcycles need to be extra vigilant to help prevent a collision with a deer. Last year, Wisconsin law enforcement reported that there were over 20,000 crashes involving deer. Last year, nine people were killed in accidents involving deer. Of the nine people killed, six of them were motorcyclists. These collisions can cause both injury and property damage.

Because of this, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has offered some tips to help keep people on the roadways safe. These tips include:

  • Be extra cautious and vigilant in the early morning and evening hours as this is when deer are most active.
  • Avoid distracted driving activities.
  • Ensure that every in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt.
  • If a deer is spotted, you should slow your vehicle and blow your horn to frighten it away.
  • Make sure that you are traveling at a speed that is safe for conditions.

By ensuring that you are practicing safe driving and being vigilant, you can help keep the roadways safer for everyone.