PSA::::::::::Wear your seatbelt

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by silver_snipe

MG you misunderstood what I was trying to say. I totally agree with you but there are other varibles to consider. Best course is to wear your seatbelt and slow down.

Forgive me. I thought you were suggesting that swerving was a choice to consider for smaller cars and bigger deer. It might be worth considering for really big animals like elk and moose, but even for smaller cars, swerving increases your chance of serious injury for whitetail deer. Here's the advice offered consistently by the insurance industry:

The following facts can be helpful in avoiding deer-related collisions:

Deer are not just found on rural roads near wooded areas, many deer crashes occur on busy highways near cities.

Deer are unpredictable, especially when faced with glaring headlights, blowing horns and fast-moving vehicles. They often dart into traffic.

Deer often move in groups. If you see one, there are likely more in the vicinity.

When driving, the I.I.I. recommends taking the following precautions:

Drive with caution when moving through deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland.

Always wear your seat belt and stay awake, alert and sober.

When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.

Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.

Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.

Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not proven effective.


The insurance industry usually gives very good advice, because they have an army of math geeks (actuaries) who study the outcome probabilties for different actions. In addition to their recommendations, colleagues and I are experts in injury mechanisms, and while most of our publications are in blast and ballistics, we actually earn most of our money doing auto accident analysis to determine injury causes. Even for smaller cars, the best plan is to maintain your lane, slow as much as possible and hit the deer if it is still in your lane. There are no guarantees of a positive outcome, but probability is strongly on your side with this course of action compared with swerving to miss the deer.