Deer Mating Season Causing Traffic Trouble In Pleasanton

PLEASANTON, CA — Police are warning drivers to take extra caution due to a high number of deer crossing Pleasanton roads. The animals have have been causing almost daily crashes over the last few weeks, especially on Foothill Road, the Pleasanton Police department reported.

Fall is the most likely time for wildlife and vehicles to collide, due to the animals' increased movement related to mating seasons and seasonal migration, according to a 2018 report from UC Davis. And the majority of these reported traffic incidents involve mule deer — 88 percent — a common species in the East Bay.

Collisions with wildlife cost up to half a billion dollars each year in California, primarily within the central Sierra Nevada and San Francisco Bay Area, according to the report. Pleasanton police offer tips for avoiding these collisions:

• SLOW DOWN to increase your reaction time in the event you encounter an animal on the road, especially in the early morning and evening hours.

• STAY ALERT. If possible, use high-beam headlights at night so you can see farther down the road. Keep your eyes moving back and forth across the road.

• If you can, HONK your horn if a deer is in the roadway.

• Try NOT TO SWERVE. You can lose control.

• Bucks can be very aggressive during breeding season; if you injure one and it is still moving around STAY CLEAR!

• Finally, it’s important to be aware that deer and other animals often travel in groups. When one goes by EXPECT MORE to follow.