VDOT warns deer mating season means higher risk of crashes

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is warning drivers that deer mating season can mean a higher risk of crashes as people may be commuting in the dark.

The department said that, as clocks are planned to shift back an hour on Nov. 2 for daylight saving time, there's a higher chance that people will be driving home from work in darkness.

Additionally, daylight saving time coincides with deer mating season -- with the department saying that the highest number of vehicle crashes involving deer have historically happened in November.

From around mid-October throughout November, deer tend to forage at roadside edges as other food sources become more limited, and they often cross roads and highways at dawn and dusk, per the department.

VDOT provided the following tips to motorists:

• Although there is an instinctual urge to swerve -- do not veer for deer. Swerving can cause a driver to lose control of a vehicle and increase the severity of a crash. If a deer appears in front of you, gradually brake to avoid hitting the animal.
• Prepare for the unexpected, a deer may stop in the middle of the road or double back
• If you see one deer, slow down, because they usually travel in groups, so there's likely to be others nearby
• Check the shoulders of a road or highway and use your high beam headlights when able -- deer tend to stand on the sides of the road and then suddenly move into the road. Slow down and hit your horn to scare the deer, as they dart and run in either direction.
• If you hit a deer, pull off to the shoulder and turn on your hazard lights. Do not exit your vehicle and search for the deer, because it could hurt you.

If you hit and kill a deer or elk that needs to be picked up or see a dead animal creating a hazard on a state-maintained roadway, fill out a report on VDOT's website or call 800-367-7623.

For more information about drivingly safely during deer mating season, click here.