NEW YORK — November is deer season, and the New York State Thruway Authority and State Police Troop T are advising motorists to be alert for deer along the Thruway and are offering important safety tips.
Deer become more active and are more frequently seen along the roadside in the fall and spring and most deer-vehicle collisions occur during these seasons, according to data compiled by the Thruway Authority.
Through September 2014, there have been a total of 1,267 deer related collisions on the Thruway this year. The prevalence of deer related crashes can be influenced by a range of factors, including weather conditions and deer population fluctuations from year to year.
The Thruway Authority offers these safety tips for motorists:
Be especially aware of deer from October through December and May through June.
Deer are most active at dawn and dusk.
Drivers should scan shoulders of the roadside for deer eyes reflecting light.
One deer crossing the road may indicate others are about to cross. Watch for other deer – they will move fast to stay in groups, catch up with leaders, mothers, or mates and may not pay attention to traffic.
Do not rely on high beams or honking your horn to warn deer.
Deer often stay close to woodlots, fencerows, field edges or areas near water, so motorists should use extra caution wherever these habitats are located in close proximity to the Thruway.
Deer hooves slip on pavement and a deer may fall in front of your vehicle just when you think it is jumping 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 accident if you are following too closely.
If a collision is unavoidable, hold onto the steering wheel – do not swerve to avoid hitting the deer. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The most serious vehicle-deer accidents occur when drivers swerve at high speeds to avoid a deer, and then strike another vehicle, a tree, or roll over.
If you are involved in a vehicle-deer collision, do not attempt to approach or touch the deer.
Always buckle your seat belt. Ejection from a vehicle is the main reason that fatalities occur in a collision.
If you are involved in a vehicle-deer accident, you should make every attempt to drive your vehicle as far off the highway as possible, park on the right shoulder, activate your four-way hazard flashers, and stay in your vehicle and wait until help arrives. Motorists traveling on the Thruway can report an accident by calling 911 or the Thruway Authority’s emergency number at 1-800-842-2233.
Additional traveler safety tips are available on the Thruway website at http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/safety/drivingsafety.html .
