On a cold and frosty morning, while driving to work, you switch through the radio stations to find your favorite tune. You begin making a mental checklist of the tasks you need to accomplish today in the office. Your mind then drifts to the grocery items you need to pick-up at the store after work. Suddenly, you are jerked back to reality when three deer unexpectedly run out in front of your vehicle in an attempt to cross the busy road. You jam on the brakes in hopes of stopping before colliding into the animals. You breathe a sigh of relief once the deer trot off to safety and escape the hit. Many of us have experienced a scenario similar to this one. And, unfortunately, a vast majority of us have made contact with deer. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, hundreds of thousands of drivers hit deer with their vehicles each year racking-up thousands of dollars of damage. It is challenging to avoid deer-related accidents; however, there are a few measures that can be taken to help prevent a collision.
1) Be a watchful motorist. In daylight hours, a driver can see an animal at the side of the road or on the road soon enough to avoid a collision. However, at night, drivers usually do not see an animal until it is too close to avoid.
2) Be aware that most animals are most active during the evening and early morning hours. Ninety-percent of deer-vehicle collisions occur between dusk and dawn.
3) Your safety, as well as the safety of your passengers and other motorists on the road, should not be jeopardized by trying to avoid hitting a deer. Talk to your insurance agent today to confirm that collision with an animal is covered under your current plan!
Check out the original article from our partner, Rockingham Insurance.