An even higher number of deer-car accidents go unreported. Also not counted are accidents that somehow spare the deer while contributing to collisions between vehicles or with roadside objects. The cost to insurance companies from this carnage reaches into the tens of millions of dollars per year, according to industry officials. In communities and along highways where numbers of deer collisions are highest, the DNR attempts to reduce local whitetail herds by issuing additional antlerless deer permits to hunters. Where accidents are particularly common, state wildlife managers advise city or county officials to erect tall fences or roadside reflectors, which send headlights into woods and scare the deer from the road.
Deer are mobile, often traveling several miles each day.
When crossing a road, the animals are often paralyzed with fear by approaching vehicles, especially at night, and then dash unexpectedly at the last minute often right into the traffic. If you spot a deer anywhere near a road, immediately decelerate as safely as possible. A standing deer can suddenly panic and dart in any direction. Use your horn to scare the deer away from the road. Be especially wary during spring and fall.