October is 'Michigan Car-Deer Crash Safety Awareness Month'

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 29 -- October is mating season in Michigan, which means the state's 1.75 million whitetail deer will be more active, and more likely to be involved in a car-deer crash. Car-deer crashes cause at least $130 million in damage each year, or an average of $2,000 per vehicle. Recognizing this fact, Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed October as "Michigan Car-Deer Crash Safety Awareness Month."

A public awareness campaign announced today (September 29) during a press conference at the State Capitol is aimed at reducing car-deer crashes by asking motorists to be extra alert when driving this fall. The Michigan Deer Crash Coalition (MDCC) seeks to increase awareness of the problem amongst the driving public and reducing the number of deaths and injuries occurring each year on state roads. The theme of this year's campaign is: "Car Deer Crashes, Myths & Facts."

Myth number one: Don't swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Police statistics show that most motorist deaths and injuries occur when drivers swerve to avoid hitting the deer and strike a fixed object, such as a tree or strike another vehicle. No one wants to see a deer destroyed, says MDCC, but striking the animal is often the safest action.

"In 2003, we experienced a significant increase in the number of total car-deer crashes," said coalition Chairman Richard J. Miller of AAA Michigan, "and the number of deaths more than doubled compared with the previous year, from 5 to 11 fatalities. The dollar amount of damage to vehicles and, especially, to lives remains too high."

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, there were 67,760 deer-vehicle crashes in 2003, up approximately 6 percent from the 63,136 crashes reported in 2002. Due to crashes that go unreported, the actual total remains closer to 80,000. More than 17 percent of all crashes in Michigan involve deer.

Myth number two: Motorcyclists are not as likely to strike deer. Motorcyclists, in fact, are more vulnerable to injury or death in motorcycle- deer crashes. Seven of the 11 Michigan car-deer fatalities in 2003 involved motorcycle riders. Motorcycle-deer crashes increased 39 percent from 2002 to 2003, and represent 40 percent of the entire increase in all types of motorcycle crashes last year. Unlike car-deer crashes, motorcycle-deer crashes occur mostly in the summer months. More than 80 percent of all motorcycle-deer crashes involve an injury.

Nearly half of all car-deer crashes occur in the October-to-December mating season when deer are very active, and crashes spike again in spring when the season's first grass appears along highway rights-of-way. Car-deer crashes peaked in 1996, but have stabilized at slightly lower levels in the seven years since.

On average, there are 185 crashes involving deer every day of the year in Michigan. That's approximately one every eight minutes, and they occur in every county, including metropolitan areas like Detroit and Grand Rapids.

All motorists should "think deer" whenever they are behind the wheel, drive defensively, as if a deer can appear at any moment, because they can! And remember to always fasten your safety belts. They are your best chance of surviving in any crash.

  If a crash with a deer is unavoidable, the MDCC recommends drivers:
  -- DON'T SWERVE!
  -- Brake Firmly.
  -- Hold onto the steering wheel with both hands.
  -- Come to a controlled stop.
  -- Steer your vehicle well off the roadway.

Michigan's car-deer crash problem has grown due to several factors. More homes and businesses built in historical deer habitat, along with the state's deer herd that is nearly four times larger than in 1970, force deer into ever- smaller, more populous areas.

Nationally, reported car-deer collisions cause an estimated $1.1 billion in damage.

Myth number three: Most car-deer crashes occur in northern Lower Michigan or the U.P. In fact, all of the top 10 counties for car-deer crashes in 2003 were in southern Lower Michigan: Kent (2,450), Jackson (2,326), Calhoun (2,186), Montcalm (1,794), Oakland (1,761), Ingham (1,553), Eaton (1,528), Kalamazoo (1,518), Lapeer (1,469) and Genesee (1,468).

The MDCC says motorists can help avoid dangerous encounters with deer by heeding the following tips:

-- Watch for deer especially at dawn and dusk. They are most active then, especially during the fall mating season. In spring, deer will move from cover to find food, and back to cover. Often they will feed along road rights-of-way, where grass greens up first.

-- If you see one deer, approach cautiously, as there may be more out of sight. Deer often travel single file, so if you see one cross a road, chances are more are nearby waiting to cross, too. When startled by an approaching vehicle, they can panic and dart out from any direction without warning.

-- Be alert all year long, especially on two-lane roads. Watch for deer warning signs. They are placed at known deer-crossing areas and serve as a first alert that deer may be near.

-- Slow down when traveling through known deer-population areas.

Copies of the MDCC brochure, "Don't Veer For Deer," are available free by calling The Michigan Resource Center at (517) 882-9955.

The Michigan Deer Crash Coalition (MDCC)

AAA Michigan (313) 336-1500 - Allstate Insurance (248) 351-7118 - Federal Highway Administration (517) 377-1882 - Insurance Institute of Michigan (517) 371-2880 - Kent County Road Commission (616) 242-6900 - Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (517) 349-9420 - Michigan Association of Insurance Agents (517) 323-9473 - Michigan Department of Natural Resources (517) 373-1214 - Michigan Department of State (517) 373-2520 - Michigan Department of State Police (517) 336-6579 - Michigan Department of Transportation (517) 373-7522 - Michigan Farm Bureau (517) 323-6560 - Michigan Sheriffs' Association (517) 485-3135 - Michigan State University (517) 353-9456 - Michigan United Conservation Clubs (517) 346-6484 - Office of Highway Safety Planning (517) 333-5317 - Traffic Safety Association of Michigan (517) 487-8811 - State Farm Insurance (616) 789-5199 - Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (313) 961-4266 - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (734) 764-2485 - United Parcel Service (734) 523-1856