Patrick Feller/Flickr Creative Commons
Well folks, we are getting closer to deer season kicking off and that brings to mind a little understood type of road accident. What do you do when you hit a deer with your RV?
Well, I thought we could discuss that a little bit this morning as well as some statistics and hopefully this chat will help keep you folks from hitting any deer, and if you’re unfortunate enough to do so, at least you’ll know what to do next.
Texas is in the top ten states in the nation for vehicle/deer accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were about 1.25 million accidents in 2014 involving deer and vehicles. 10,000 of those result in injuries to people, and on average 150 of those injuries are fatal. So what do we do?
To avoid deer, you’ve got to realize they’re out there moving around. They mostly seem to start moving at sunset and during the night. So be alert, drive slower when you can’t see as far or if the road you’re on is narrow, and use your high beams. If it is obvious that a collision between your vehicle and the deer is impossible to avoid, don’t swerve to minimize the risk to the deer, just brake and hold your wheel steady. This helps prevent uncontrollable skid, as well as departure from the road. Don’t put your family’s lives at risk to save the deer or your fenders.
If you do hit the deer:
- Pull over in a safe area
- Take some photos with your phone of the accident for claims purposes
- Stay away from the deer
- Call your insurance
Call the police if:
- There are injuries
- The deer is a hazard to other traffic
- There is property damage
Hitting an animal that size can be a fairly traumatic experience, so please do not continue to drive until you have been able to calm down. People all react to accidents in different ways, so if you feel you are affected, grab a cup of coffee and wait for a little while.