Deer Collisions Spike Now; How to Avoid a Crash in Stafford

STAFFORD, VA — Now that daylight savings time has ended, the commute home for many folks means driving in the dark. That, combined with breeding season with deer, makes for a recipe of "Oh no!"

Yep, a deer may be caught in your headlights, but so are you.

Toward that end, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, via the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries, has some advice:

• When driving, particularly at night (from dusk to dawn) slow down and be attentive. If you see one deer, likely there will be others. If one deer crosses the road as you approach, others may follow.

• Deer habitually travel the same areas; therefore deer crossing signs have been installed by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Use extra caution when you see these signs.

• Drivers should apply brakes, even stop if necessary, to avoid hitting a deer, but should never swerve out of the lane to miss a deer. A collision with another vehicle, tree or other object is likely to be more serious than hitting a deer.

• Rely on your caution and your own senses, not deer whistles you can buy for your car. These devices have not been shown to be effective.

• Any person involved in a collision with a deer or bear while driving a motor vehicle, thereby killing the animal, should immediately report the accident to a Conservation Police Officer or other law enforcement officer in the county or city where the accident occurred.

• Drivers who collide with a deer or bear, thereby killing the animal, may keep it for their own use provided that they report the accident to a law enforcement officer where the accident occurred and the officer views the animal and gives the person a possession certificate.

Photo: Stafford County Sheriff's Office