Watch out for deer
Add comment June 11th, 2008
I remember when I was a kid, my parents would take us to northern Wisconsin and we’d drive around looking for deer. Rarely did we see any.
Today, I drive around hoping to avoid deer. Rarely do I NOT see any. If you drive north, you’ll see quite a few dead carcasses along the side of the road.
Which brings me to the wire story below.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin highway officials are warning motorists about deer on the roadways in the coming weeks.
“While October and November are commonly the time when there are a lot of vehicle-deer crashes, people are probably surprised to learn that June is a bad month, as well,” State Patrol safety chief Dennis Hughes said. “In fact, in four of the last five years, June was the worst or second worst month for motorists’ injuries related to deer crashes.”
During this time of year, deer frequently dart onto roadways. Officials say at times, they are looking for a place to give birth or yearlings are wandering independently after separating from their mothers.
“The best way to avoid a deer crash is to drive cautiously and stay within the speed limit,” Hughes said. “You also should be buckled up in case a crash can’t be avoided.”
Deer are the third most commonly struck object in Wisconsin traffic crashes, behind collisions with another vehicle or a fixed object, authorities said.
“Motorcyclists must be especially careful because collisions with deer can be fatal to motorcycle drivers and passengers,” Hughes said. “Motorcycles were involved in 10 of the 14 fatal deer versus motor vehicle crashes in 2007.”
Law enforcement agencies reported a total of 17,977 deer vs. vehicle crashes last year.
In Shawano and Green Lake counties, more than half of all reported crashes in 2007 involved deer.
Dane County had the most motor vehicle vs. deer crashes reported in 2007 with 1,025. Shawano followed with 714 and Waukesha had 665.
Authorities say if motorists see a deer by the side of the road, they should slow down and blow their horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away. They also warn to look for more than one in a given area, since they seldom run alone.
