LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As we head into the final months of the year, drivers are warned that more accidents involving deer tend to happen. According to AAA, in 2019 more than 3,000 deer-related crashes happened in Kentucky.
"When you factor in November and December are the dangerous months for deer and vehicle collisions, our body clocks, we know the time has changed, the deer do not," said Lynda Lambert with AAA East Central.
To help cut down animal-related accidents, AAA advises drivers to pay attention more attention to what's in front of them and follow the rules of the road.
The most important thing they want drivers to remember is--resist the urge to swerve when encountering a deer in the roadway.
"When you get something like that in front of you, your natural instinct is to slam the brakes and dart but that's usually what gets you hurt or killed," Lambert said.
Mechanics like D&S Automotive owner Scott Procter know all too well what kind of damage can be caused by an animal-related accident.
He said if you do see an animal in the road, the best thing to do is to try to keep driving.
"When they hit you're hitting a thousand plus pound animal that's dead stopped so it usually totals your car when it happens," Proctor said.
If you hit a deer, AAA recommends:
- Call the police
- Avoid making contact with the animal. A frightened or wounded animal can hurt you or further injure itself
- Put the vehicle’s hazard lights on, whether it’s light or dark outside
- If possible, immediately move the vehicle to a safe location, out of the roadway, and wait for help to arrive
- Contact your insurance agent or company representative as quickly as possible to report any damage to your car
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