Brunswick, Columbus, see high number of Fall animal crashes

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) – Between 2013 and 2015, more than 56,000 animal-related crashes happened in North Carolina during the last three months of the year, according to the NC Department of Transportation.

12 people died in those wrecks, nearly 3,400 people got hurt and they caused nearly $141.7 million in damages.

“Drivers need to be especially careful on the roads at this time of the year,” said Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson. “Motorists need to be alert to their surroundings for their own safety and the safety of others because of the increased animal activity and decreasing hours of daylight during the final months of the year.”

A D.O.T. study shows there were 18,032 crashes in 2015.  While Wake County lead the state with 839 crashes last  year, Columbus and Brunswick Counties also made the top 10.

Deer are on the roadways more during the fall into early winter due to the hunting and mating seasons. They also travel more during times when it is tougher to see them, at dawn and at dusk. The end of daylight savings time, which is 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, contributes to drivers being on the road more during reduced daylight.

The largest number of animal-related crashes in 2015 happened between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. More than half took place between 5 and 11 p.m.

The Department of Transportation has the following tips for motorists to avoid being in a deer-vehicle crash:

• Slow down in posted deer crossing areas and heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening
• Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in deer-vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belt
• Statistics indicate most deer-vehicle crashes occur in areas where deer are more likely to travel, such as near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams and ditches
• Drive with high beams on when possible, and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights
• Remember that deer often travel in groups, so do not assume that if you see one deer cross the road in front of you, there won’t be others following
• Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away
• Increase the distance between your vehicle and other cars, especially at night. If the car ahead of you hits a deer, you may also become involved in the crash
• Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, flipping it over, veering it into oncoming traffic or overcorrecting and running off the road, causing a more serious crash
• Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences or reflectors to deter deer as these devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle crashes
• If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road if possible, and call 911.