11-09-2022 4:32am

THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME

Jeff Barto Editor

November is the month when more deer-related crashes happen, according to AAA. Locally, Hunt Valley localities where deer are struck are among the highest in the state.

The reason why we see these deer-related crashes happening so often in November is because this is the breeding season for deer. Male white-tailed deer will be on the search for their perfect mate all month long making this an especially risky time for drivers.

Now that the days are shorter and it’s getting dark outside earlier, drivers should be especially cautious about deer darting out on the roadway. AAA reports that you’re more likely to see deer from 5-8 am in the morning and from 5- 8 pm at night - that’s when they’re most active.

“We see them close to roadways, jumping out into roadways moving very, very quickly and a lot of contact between vehicles and deer out there which can be very very costly,” explained Morgan Dean, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

According to AAA, deer are involved in more collisions than any other animal and last year an animal strike claim in the commonwealth averaged about $4,800.

Officials urge you to slow down when driving in areas where deer tend to be present.

“Darkness makes it much harder to see deer in and along the roadway. For drivers really an opportunity to slow down, use those high beams if you can safely without flashing them into oncoming traffic. Slow down going into those curves and be looking scanning along the side of the roadway for deer. Usually, you kind of see their eyes light up first,” Dean explained.

AAA says that if you hit a deer you should immediately call the police and move to a safe location out of the roadway. Also, you should avoid making contact with the deer. It could end up harming you or going back out into traffic and causing more crashes.