6 Deer Hit By Cars On Palos Park Roads Since September

PALOS PARK, IL -- Palos Park police are seeing an uptick in deer vs. vehicle accidents. Motorists are being asked to use caution when driving through the Palos area’s forested roads. Deer are in the middle of the fall rutting, or mating season, and are highly active and on the move.

“This time of year, Palos Park is ‘deer country’ and we ask you be as safe as possible,” said Chief Joe Miller, of the Palos Park Police Department.

Miller said there have been six accidents since mid-September of cars hitting deer in the area of 123rd Street, Route 83, Wolf Road and Archer Avenue. Vehicles sustained mostly front-end damage. The extent of the animals’ injuries is unknown. Miller said the deer were not on the scene when police arrived.

“The deer may have run off injured and died elsewhere,” Miller said.

The deer breeding season runs from October to mid-January, This is when deer-vehicle conditions are at their peak. Deer are most likely to be encountered at dawn or dusk.

Though deer may wander into suburban neighborhoods, they are most frequently found on the outskirts of town and in heavily wooded areas. As pack animals, deer almost never travel alone. If you see one deer, you can bet that there are others nearby.

Miller said the most important way for motorists to avoid hitting a deer is to slow down.

“If you are driving through an area known for high deer populations, slow down and observe the speed limit,” the police chief said. “The more conservative you are with your speed, the more time you will have to brake if an animal darts into your path.”

More tips to avoid hitting a deer with your car:

• Always wear a seatbelt. The most severe injuries in deer-vehicle collisions usually result from failure to use a seatbelt.

• Watch for the shine of eyes along the roadside and immediately begin to slow.

• Use your high beams whenever the road is free of oncoming traffic. This will increase your visibility and give you more time to react.

• Deer can become mesmerized by steady, bright lights so if you see one frozen on the road, slow down and flash your lights. Some experts recommend one long blast of the horn to scare them out of the road, as well.

• Pay close attention to caution signs indicating deer or other large animals. These signs are specifically placed in high-traffic areas where road crossings are frequent.

• If you're on a multi-lane road, drive in the center lane to give as much space to grazing deer as possible.

• Never swerve to avoid a deer in the road. Swerving can confuse the deer on where to run. Swerving can also cause a head-on collision with oncoming vehicles, take you off the roadway into a tree or a ditch, and greatly increase the chances of serious injuries.

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