It’s that time of year again when motorists need to be aware of increased chances of running into deer on the roadways.
Shawano County is one of the places in Wisconsin where that is most likely to happen, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Law enforcement agencies reported 18,313 deer vs. motor vehicle crashes in the state last year.
Waukesha County had the most motor vehicle vs. deer crashes in 2013 with 809. Dane County had the second most with 786, followed by Shawano County with 748.
In Green Lake, Shawano and Taylor counties, more than half of all reported crashes in 2013 involved deer.
Deer are the third most commonly struck object in Wisconsin traffic crashes, behind collisions with another vehicle or a fixed object.
Deer activity increases this time of year as does search for places to give birth and young deer separate from their mothers. With this increased activity, drivers may encounter more deer darting into the paths of their vehicles without warning.
Although motor vehicle collisions with deer peak in the fall months, June is one of the worst months for driver and passenger injuries due to deer crashes.
In four of the last five years, June ranked as the worst or second worst month for motorists’ injuries from deer crashes, according to the DOT.
“The best way to avoid crashes with deer is to slow down and eliminate distractions while you drive. You also need to buckle up in case a crash can’t be avoided,” said David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.
“Motorcyclists must be especially careful because collisions with deer can be fatal to motorcycle drivers and passengers,” he said. “Motorcycles were involved in six of the eight fatal deer versus motor vehicle crashes in 2013.”
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