Watch out! Deer take to the roads

Each year, more and more highway collisions are being attributed to deer.

Now that fall has arrived and hunting season nears, deer will be seen crossing the roads and highways.

Not only is the deer population growing, but they are branching out from rural areas because of urban growth through housing and commercial development.

According to the insurance information institute, there are more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions each year, resulting in an average of 150 deaths, thousands of injuries and more than $1 billion in vehicle damage.

Bill Gough, an Allstate Insurance agent in Florence, spoke with Senior Staff Writer Tom Smith about the challenges that deer present to area drivers.

Q: How often do you see claims of people hitting deer?

A: Unfortunately, we're seeing more and more of these type claims. As the deer population increases and moves around, and traffic increases, you're going to have these type accidents.

The most important thing to realize is that crashing with a deer can cause a tremendous amount of damage to a vehicle. But also, they can do damage by just darting out in front of a car and causing a driver to swerve and hit a ditch or tree,

Last year, in our agency alone, we had more than 5,000 vehicles insured and we paid out $150,000.

Q: Are there certain times of day when deer seem to be out and about more than others?

A: Typically, at dawn and dusk, but that's not always the case. I was going south on Lauderdale 47 just behind Martins last year about 1 p.m. and one ran right out across the road in front of me.

Deer are very unpredictable; they cross in front of a car without any warning. When you see one, there are likely more in the area. So the best thing to do is be constantly alert to the possibility that it could happen.

Q: What should a motorist do if they hit a deer?

A: First thing, make sure the animal has run off, which most of the time they do.

If the deer is dead, you need to contact the nearest law enforcement and they will instruct you on what to do.

If the vehicle is drivable, you can drive it off. By law, you do not have to report the accident to the police.

If you drive the vehicle off, you need to contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible to report the accident.

If the car is not drivable, contact the police or a wrecker service to have the vehicle towed and then contact the insurance carrier as soon as possible.