Fall is here, and winter is coming. If you’re a regular driver on the roads here in Tennessee, you know that means there may be a lot of deer on the road. Not only is this mating season, but the cold weather often forces wildlife to venture further than normal for food.
A head-on accident with a deer in the middle of the night can be devastating, so it’s smart to understand what you need to do to protect yourself on your travels. Here are some tips you can use:
- Try to avoid wooded, rural areas at night. That’s when the deer are most active. It’s also the time when it’s hardest to spot them soon enough to stop your vehicle.
- Reduce your speed in areas where there are deer. You not only need to slow down to give yourself more time to react if a deer does step into your path, you also need to put more space between you and other vehicles. If the car in front of you has to suddenly put on the brakes for a deer, you don’t want to crash in to them.
- Don’t panic — and don’t swerve. If you do see a deer in the road, try to stop your car. Do not, however, swerve into the oncoming lane in an effort to avoid hitting the animal. That can lead to tragic consequences if you run into another vehicle. If a collision seems unavoidable, slow down as much as you can and brace yourself for impact.
Deer in the road can lead to lots of problems — not the least of which is the possibility that another driver will swerve in to you while trying to avoid one. If you end up injured, find out what it takes to get fair compensation for your losses.