Where in Michigan You’re Most Likely to Hit a Deer; How to Avoid It

METRO DETROIT, MI — October brings with it Halloween and cool weather, but it’s also the start of deer season and the time to make sure Bambi returns safely to the woods instead of crashing through your windshield.

The odds of a driver making a claim for hitting a deer, elk or moose is 1 in 85 in Michigan, which ranks eighth in the country for car-deer collisions, according to data from State Farm Insurance. That’s up from a 1oth place in the fall and winter of 2014-2016, when motorists had a 1 in 97 chance of a collision.

That’s a 14.1 percent increase in the likelihood of a collision with a deer or similar animal. There is glimmer of good news: Though you’re more likely to avoid hitting a deer, State Farm said the cost per claim decreased slightly in 2015-2016, to $3,995, down from $4,135 in 2014-2015.

Where are you most likely to hit a deer?

In 2015, Oakland County led the state with 1,873 crashes, according to the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition. Also in the top 10 were Kent (1,528), Jackson (1,324), Lapeer (1,230), Ingham (1,087) Eaton (1,071), Washtenaw (1,062), Genesee (1,037), Calhoun (1,009) and Montcalm (999).

Crash rates were lower in more urban communities like Macomb County,which reported 630 car-deer collisions, and Wayne County, which reported 400 such accidents.

How To Avoid Hitting A Deer On The Road

1. Know the time of day

Dusk and dawn are the prime times for deer to be out in the road, according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife agencies. Those times also can limit visibility, with the sun being near the horizon causing glare and affecting vision.

2. Don’t swerve

“You want to avoid the secondary collision,” Rader said. “And if you’re swerving suddenly, you’re increasing your risk by hitting another car or leaving the roadway.”

Instead, you should brake firmly when you see an animal in your path, but continue to stay in your lane.

3. Drive slowly

“The best advice is to heed deer warning signs and slow down in areas where deer are prevalent,” Rader said.
And if you see one, other deer are likely to be nearby. You can give your horn a short, firm blast to scare others in the area away.

4. Use your brights (when there’s no oncoming traffic, of course)

Not only will this help you see the road better, but it will help you detect deer more easily.
“The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway,” the Insurance Information Institute says.

5. Don’t use special devices

Deer whistles and special reflectors for your car are marketed to scare deer away, but it’s more likely that they’re just another way to swindle some sucker out of five or 10 bucks.

“These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions,” the institute says.

Photo by Jeremiah John McBride via Flickr Common