On the move now, deer can be a danger to motorists
One day in the first week of November, Pete Pringle and his brother, Luke, were talking about car accidents involving deer.
Pete and Luke work at Pringle Auto Body, 2720 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kan. It is a family business started by their grandfather in 1968 and now is run by their mother.
It was natural for them to have a conversation on deer accidents this time of year. It’s when a higher percentage of collisions involving deer occur because it’s the breeding season for deer.
“We are getting into that season,” Pete Pringle said.
Bucks and does will be on the move in the breeding season far more than other times of the year, said Bill Graham, media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“Another thing is the habitat that deer have been staying in all summer is changing,” Graham said. “The leaves fall off the trees, some of the vegetation is dying so some of their old hiding places and hangouts are changing. They are looking for new places.
“Also, their food sources are changing. All of that contributes to deer being on the move more this time of year.”
In the same week the Pringle brothers were talking about deer accidents involving cars, a 2011 Hyundai Elantra arrived at their auto body shop on Nov. 4.
The car was on Interstate 70 when it and the deer collided, causing significant damage to the front end of the passenger side.
The estimate to fix the damage, Pete said, was $6,600.
“It is on the cusp of being a totaled,” Pete said. “The car is new enough. It is nothing for a deer to cause $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 worth of damage to a car. If you are driving an older vehicle, there is a good chance it totals your vehicle.”
He figures it will take 10 days to two weeks to repair the Elantra. It can be stressful hitting a deer, dealing with insurance issues and then the length of time it takes to either fix the car or get a new one, especially coming around the holiday season.
“I definitely think it rattles people,” Pete said.
One thing that people might not know, said Don Swanson, a State Farm Insurance agent for 30 years, is hitting a deer is covered by a comprehensive policy and not collision.
“Comprehensive is if your window is broken or your car is stolen, vandalized or you hit a deer,” Swanson said. “By its nature, the car is damaged, so you think it is collision. The advantage on comprehensive is you might have a lower deductible than collision.”
Swanson, whose office is at 7415 Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kan., has sent some of his customers who have been in deer accidents to Pringle.
Pete Pringle said they have worked on five to 10 cars per year over the last two years that were involved in deer accidents.
“We haven’t seen as many deer hits over the past couple of years as you may think,” he said.
But Swanson said he has definitely seen an increase in insurance claims involving deer over the last 15 years.
“It is greater because of all the construction,” Swanson said. “(The deer) are moving closer and closer to the city. Consequently they look for any wooded area they can get into. Their habitat has been taken away by buildings, so you see them crossing the roads more.
“You see them in neighborhoods. You see them on the street and you go, ‘What the heck?’”
It is expensive when a deer hits a car.
“It is anywhere from $2,000 to a total, depending on the size of the deer and the speed of the car,” Swanson said. “It is mostly front-end damage. You will occasionally get a deer running into the side of the car.
“If you are going 40 miles per hour or higher and you hit a deer, you have a chance of totaling your car.”
The best way to avoid hitting a deer, especially this time of year, is to be alert.
“Drivers being alert for deer is the No. 1 thing we can say to people,” Graham said. “This time of year, just be extra alert when you drive.
“Normally we are just driving down the road, thinking about things, listening to music. But this is the time of year that it really pays to watch the road ahead of you and scan the roadside, especially if you are driving at dawn or dusk.”
Dawn or dusk, Graham added, is when deer are little more active than they are during the day. Also, pay attention to the side of the road, and if you spot a deer, slow down. That will give you more time to react if the deer suddenly darts into the street.
“If a deer jumps in front of you, keep your vehicle as safe as possible,” Graham said. “Don’t make any abrupt swerves that cause you to leave the highway and have a crash. Better to be steady at the wheel than make a swerve.”
These tips by Graham and insurance information from Swanson echo the advice from auto experts at CARSTAR Auto Body Repair, which is based in Leawood. In an Oct. 29 release by CARSTAR, it stressed these points:
▪ If there is no opposing traffic, use high beams at night to better illuminate deer.
▪ Don't rely on devices such as deer whistles, which are attached to the outside of a car, to scare off deer with an ultrasonic or high-frequency sound. They have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
▪ If a deer remains on the highway after you strike it, report the incident to the game commission or a local law enforcement agency because the deer poses a danger to other motorists. If the deer is still alive, don't go near it because an injured wild animal with sharp hooves can still inflict injuries.
▪ If an accident with a deer does occur, it pays to be protected. Many drivers don’t realize that carrying only collision coverage does not cover damage from a deer accident, leaving them with a damaged vehicle and a large repair bill. To fully cover any potential damage, drivers should carry comprehensive insurance that covers such crashes.
“I would expect to get a few more deer hits, although given the deer population, you can get a deer hit any time of the year,” Pete Pringle said. “But it is more prevalent now.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "On the move now, deer can be a danger to motorists."