Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Deer (or Other Animals) on the Road
There are many bad decisions you can make if a deer appears in front of you while driving. You will be amazed, it will freeze, and your brain will go into alarm that you must do something now – but please resist the urge to deviate from it.
The reaction is understandable. You don’t want to hit the deer. But the deer probably sees you , even if it first stands still. By the time you get close, he will probably have jumped. And if you deviate right at that moment, well, he might jump into you.
But even apart from the harm you can do to the deer, deviance is dangerous for you. A sudden change in direction at high speed can cause you to roll over, hit a tree, or go into a ditch.
What to do if a deer ran into the road?
First, slow down . Do not apply the brakes if it is unsafe (for example, if the road is icy), but slow down as much as possible. This will give you and the deer more time to react, meaning that if you collide, the collision will occur at a lower speed.
Then pay attention to your surroundings. Deer tend to travel in groups, often crossing the road in single file, so there are probably more of them where this deer came from. If they are in motion when you approach, they are likely to continue moving in the same direction. Try to keep (not swerve) behind the last reindeer in line. But be aware that there might be another one out of sight.
If a deer is standing in the middle of the road and looking at you with a “deer in the headlights” look, it will probably jump at the last minute – and can go in any direction. Don’t try to guess. Just head towards him, slowing down as much as you can, and wait for him to move.
You may not have the time or presence of mind to think about other drivers, but if you do, flash your headlights to warn oncoming vehicles of the danger. (A deer can jump onto its path.)
How about avoiding other animals?
I live in one of the states with the highest rate of wildlife strikes , so I’ll be honest with you. If I see something smaller than a deer on the road, my philosophy is simple: to hell with them.
I won’t risk crashing a van full of kids because a squirrel with a death wish showed up at the last minute. I’m not heartless. I’ll feel bad if I crush a squirrel. But this is the choice I made.
I will briefly press the brake on a squirrel or a bunny and wish them good luck. I will slow down as well as possible for a deer or a dog. I do absolutely nothing if the animal on the road is a bird; they always fly away.
Where I live, large animals are rare, but the danger they pose is real. If you live in moose country, people die in moose accidents. (Their legs are so long that their bodies tend to hit the passenger compartment in a collision.) The best defense against a moose collision is to slow down so that whatever happens, happens at the lowest speed possible.
And definitely do not accelerate if there is an animal on the road. There is a myth that it is better to hit a moose at high speed in order to try to roll it over the car. Do not do this. Similarly, people sometimes misunderstand the advice not to go around the deer as meaning that you should try to hit the deer in the forehead. Don’t do that either. If you approach at a slower speed and the deer jumps out of the way, it gives both of you a better chance of surviving.
And to avoid a collision, pay attention first. Drive carefully in the early morning, late evening and any time it is dark or foggy. You can often see the shining eyes of a deer in the bushes before it jumps out in front of you, and they tend to follow predictable paths. These “deer crossing” signs are legal, so when you see them, pay attention.