Drivers beware: fall is the time for deer

The Indiana State Police Putnamville District, remind motorists that many property and personal injury crashes occur this time of year as the deer migrate from the fields to the roadways.

Each year in Indiana, several thousand dollars worth of damage occurs from vehicle-deer crashes.

In many cases motorists can be severely injured, when drivers panic and swerve to miss a deer, and then lose control of their vehicles and are killed or severely injured when they strike other fixed objects.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, Indiana reported 8,777 vehicle-deer crashes of which 225 resulted in personal injury and two crashes resulted in fatalities.

The Indiana State Police recommend the following driving techniques:

* When possible use high beam headlights at night and be aware that deer could be standing on or near the side of the roadway.

* Drivers should watch approaching vehicles to see if what interrupts their headlights beams could be a passing deer. This technique allows extra time to slow your speed and be alert for the deer.

* Look for reflections from the deer's eyes.

* Where there is one deer there are often several. Do not assume you missed the deer because more could follow. Be alert!

* If your vehicle strikes a deer do not touch it. A frightened or wounded deer can cause you serious bodily injury. Remain in your car, make sure you and your passengers are safe, and call the police to obtain a crash report for your insurance company. You must report this as you would any other crash.

* Finally, buckle your seat belt. Defensive driving and buckling up go a long way in not only vehicle-deer crashes, but also in general driving.