With the holidays coming around, you’re probably thinking more about reindeer than actual deer. More traffic will be on the road for seasonal travel and you should be watching out for wayward deer that are on the move. October through December is considered “deer season” in the northeast because it is their mating and migration time. Deer collisions account for thousands of trips to auto body shops throughout the late fall season. Because the pandemic is still active, there is likely to be less traffic on the road for the holidays this year. This doesn’t mean you should be any less cautious while driving this year. Here are five tips to avoid deer related collisions.

1.Use extra caution around dawn and dusk. Deer move around dawn and dusk so if you’re hitting the road around those times, be extra vigilant. Golf courses, fields, and wooded areas are common places that deer forage at dawn and dusk.

2.Remember that deer move in groups. If you see one deer crossing the road, there are bound to me more behind it. It pays to wait at least 30 seconds after the first deer has crossed to see if there are any more. Deer may move in groups of up to 25 at a time!

3.Don’t swerve dramatically if a deer jumps out. You will likely be in more danger if you hit another vehicle or end up losing control of the car. If you can, brake firmly and stay in your lane.

4.Use high beams when you can. High beams will illuminate the eyes of deer in the road at night. Slow down and beep your horn to get the deer to move out of the road.

5.Don’t use deer whistles. There have been several studies done that have proven that deer whistles are ineffective in preventing crashes. They do emit noises but do not work quickly enough for the deer to hear them to move.

If you’re a collision repair shop that has had an increase in deer related collisions, you should check out our great selection of new and older auto body parts. Our shop is located in Middlefield, CT but we ship all over the United States.