Dodge County sheriff’s deputies have experienced a significant increase in traffic accidents involving deer over the last week. Dodge County Sheriff Jeff Hinson said that deputies have worked as many as four to six wrecks in one shift. Sheriff Hinson said most of the wrecks have been relatively minor with no injuries to drivers or passengers with a few exceptions.
Last Thursday morning around 5:00 a.m., deputies and emergency medical/fire personnel were called to Middle Ground Church Road to a deer accident with injuries. In that wreck, the deer came through the windshield of a pickup truck and passed all the way through the truck’s back windshield before landing in the bed of the truck. The driver received multiple lacerations and was transported to Dodge County Hospital by Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Sheriff Hinson went on to say that another motorist was injured when they swerved to avoid a deer and struck a tree. The sheriff’s office expects the number of deer wrecks to increase throughout the Fall and first part of Winter.
There are several factors which contribute to the increase in deer wrecks during this time of the year. The deer’s mating season begins with the rut. Therefore the deer are moving more frequently. In addition, there is scarceness of food for the deer, which often brings the deer to feed on grass and things growing on the shoulders of the roads.
Nighttime, along with the early mornings and evenings before sunset, are the most likely times to see deer moving and feeding near the roadways. Motorist should slow down and take precautions when traveling during these times.
Motorists should not swerve to avoid deer as they may lose control of their vehicles and cause injuries to the occupants of the vehicle and cause more property damage. In addition, some insurance companies do not penalize motorists with higher premiums for striking a deer, but do penalize motorists that cause other damage such as damaging a fence, etc.
State Farm Insurance recently released its annual analysis of accident reports and claims. The insurance company states that the deer-vehicle accident rate in Georgia in 2010 was 1 in 150.
