Whitetail deer in central Wisconsin (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
Drivers should pay close attention to the roads during the month of June, especially when traveling through rural areas.
State Transportation Safety director David Pabst says that’s because it’s one of the worst months of the year for crashes between deer and vehicles. “The deer are starting to have their babies now, and the youngsters are getting pushed out of the nest as it were,” Pabst says. “So, we’re going to have more inexperienced deer running around.”
Pabst says the worst time for crashes is at dawn and dusk. He urges drivers to slow down, pay attention, and put their cell phones away when behind the wheel. If a deer does wander out onto the road in front of you, he says you should hit the brakes and not swerve to avoid a collision, since that could result in hitting another vehicle.
There were more than 18,000 crashes in the state last year involving vehicles and deer. Pabst says motorcyclists are particularly at risk, accounting for eight of the ten fatal crashes. “Motorcyclists really have to make sure they are wearing their gear all of the time and really paying attention.”