Somerset County Ranks Among Top In NJ For Deer Crashes: Report

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County hit the top five list of New Jersey counties that have recorded the greatest number of deer crashes statewide, AAA Northeast says.

According to a recently released report from AAA Northeast, Somerset County ranks third in the number of deer crashes New Jersey counties experienced between October and December 2019, the most recent data it had available.

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Statewide in that time period, there were 4,753 run-ins with deer, which calculates to once every 28 minutes. About 77 percent of those crashes happened in the dark, AAA indicated, most between 6 and 8 p.m.

Deer crashes peak in autumn, with daylight savings ending and mating season beginning. The mating season puts deer on the move at dawn and dusk — just like many commuters driving between work and home, setting up a recipe for potentially serious crashes.

"Drivers need to be especially vigilant and anticipate deer darting into the roadway, especially during the early morning and evening hours," said Robert Sinclair Jr., senior manager of media relations at AAA.

Fifty-five drivers crashed into deer from October to December 2019 in Wayne — the ninth-highest total among all New Jersey municipalities during that span — according to AAA.

Daylight savings ended last weekend, and New Jersey will see its next sunset at 4:45 p.m. Monday. Most deer-related crashes occur because drivers simply don't see them near or crossing the roadway in low-light conditions.

Tom Langen, a professor of biology at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, wrote for The Conversation that collisions with deer are about eight times more frequent at dusk or dawn — when the deer are most active and motorists' ability to spot them is poorest — than during daylight hours. In fact, only about a fifth of deer-vehicle collisions occur during daylight hours.

AAA said drivers should do the following:

• Slow down. Reduce speed in low-light conditions, which will give you more time to respond to unexpected wildlife movements.
• Scan off-road areas. Deer may dash out from the shoulder or wooded areas adjacent to the road.
• Be patient. Where there is one, there may be many, so don’t speed off if a deer crosses your path, as there may be more nearby.
• Be prepared. If a collision is unavoidable, apply the brakes firmly and remain in your lane; swerving sharply to avoid an animal can cause an even more serious crash.

These were the top counties for deer crashes from October to December 2019:

• Monmouth: 539
• Burlington: 419
• Somerset: 386
• Morris: 352
• Hunterdon: 339

The following towns saw the most deer crashes during that span:

• Jackson Township: 86
• Readington Township: 76
• Bridgewater Township: 67
• Marlboro Township: 66
• Franklin Township: 60
• Raritan Township: 59
• Vineland City: 58
• Hillsborough Township: 57
• Wayne Township: 55

In a study conducted by State Farm, New Jersey motorists had a 1 in 173 chance of colliding with an animal. The state is classified as "medium risk" for these types of collisions, according to the insurance survey released earlier this fall. Read more: NJ Deer Collisions With Motorists Increase In 2021

About 200 people die and 29,000 more are seriously injured every year in deer-automobile collisions, according to published research. Property damage exceeds $1 billion annually, with claims averaging around $2,600 per accident.

With reporting from Nicole Rosenthal and Josh Bakan/Patch Staff

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