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Fall the season to be on lookout for deer
Published 10/21/2009 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
rgray@gctelegram.com
As days get shorter and more people are on the road before dawn and after dusk, deer can become a danger on the roadways.
Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue urges drivers this time of year to try and make travel plans in the daylight hours to avoid highways at dusk and dawn.
"But that's not always possible," Bascue said.
Since June 1, Bascue reports the sheriff's office has handled 126 vehicle accidents. Of those, 20 involved animals and 15 were deer. The other five were two cows, one raccoon, one coyote and one unknown animal.
Bascue said the animal and vehicle collisions aren't concentrated anywhere in the county, but the office does get called to the northeast part of Finney County a little more than other parts, Bascue said.
"Highway 156 can be bad," Bascue said. "But basically, we have deer crashes all over the county."
Bascue said deer mating season in the fall is what keeps deer active and crossing roadways.
"They're active beginning when the sun goes down and active until it comes up," he said.
As for advice, Bascue said be sure to drive with bright beams on, when possible. He said many deer-vehicle crashes occur during saturated fog. He warns drivers to slow down in that situation.
Bascue said many accidents involving animals happen when drivers try to swerve.
"That's happened even for rabbits," he said.
Crashes involving deer in the county haven't led to any deaths lately, but have left drivers and passengers injured, Bascue said.
The Kansas Highway Patrol has launched a campaign urging drivers to be cautious of deer activity on and around roadways this fall.
According to the KHP, last year, six people in Kansas were killed in crashes involving deer, and 318 were injured.¬ ¬
According to Kansas Department of Transportation statistics, 9,371 deer-vehicle crashes occurred on Kansas roadways in 2008. Deer represent a significant problem for those traveling on motorcycles. In 2008, four of the six fatalities involving deer were motorcycle riders.
State Farm Insurance reports from claim data that the number of deer-vehicle collisions in Kansas is up 41 percent from five years ago. That compares with an 18.3 percent total increase in the United States.
Nationally, State Farm reports New Jersey and Nebraska have posted the largest increases at 54 percent. Kansas was third on that list. Deer-vehicle collisions have increased by 38 percent in Florida, Mississippi and Arkansas. Oklahoma increased by 34 percent and West Virginia, North Carolina and Texas increased in deer-vehicle collisions by 33 percent.
From July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, State Farm estimates 11,902 deer-vehicle collisions occurred in Kansas.
Drivers beware
Tips to avoid deer-vehicle collisions
• Intentionally look for deer.
• Be alert at dawn and dusk
• Slow down near woods, parks, golf courses, streams and deer crossing signs.
• Beware of deer traveling in groups.
• Slow down when approaching deer standing near roadsides.
• Use emergency flashers to warn oncoming drivers after you see deer near a roadway.
• If you hit a deer, pull over onto the shoulder and turn on emergency flashers.
• Do not remove a deer from the roadway unless it is dead. Injured deer can hurt people.
• Dial *47 from your cellular phone for the Kansas Highway Patrol on Kansas highways.
• Always use seat belts and appropriate child safety seats.
Source: Kansas Highway Patrol
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