Star Tribune (Minneapolis) The Drive column
By Tim Harlow, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Even with a slightly reduced risk, Major
From mid-October through
According to
But it only takes one to damage a car and put motorists at risk of serious injury.
"Deer and vehicles sharing the road can be a dangerous combination," said Lt.
Best advice? Hit the deer
Salo said drivers should be on high alert at sunrise and sunset, and be vigilant in areas where roads pass by agricultural fields or cut through wooded areas. Deer can appear any time or anywhere -- even in the metro area -- as urban sprawl has pushed deer into more populated areas. Often they are unpredictable, he said.
Car-deer collisions can be deadly. There were 175 fatalities nationwide in 2012, according to the
One thing motorists should not do if they encounter a deer: swerve to avoid it. The best advice, Salo said, is to hit the deer head-on rather than risk colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
"We'd rather see damage to the car and have the deer die," he said. "Sometimes there is not a whole lot you can do. Drivers can work so hard to avoid hitting the deer and then a more catastrophic accident results. If there is no safe place to go, just hit it. That can be a pain, but property can be fixed."
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