DELAWARE - It's that time of year again when white-tailed deer are going to be more active due to mating season. With that in mind DNREC is urging drivers to be cautious on the roadways.
Mating season, also known as "rut," starts in late October and runs through December.
DNREC has a list of precautions that drivers should be taking to keep themselves safe:
- Always wear your seatbelt to reduce your risk of injury in a collision.
- Reduce speed at night, on curves and in bad weather.
- Switch to high beams when there is no oncoming traffic to better reflect the eyes of deer on or near the roadway and scan the sides of the road as well as what’s directly ahead.
- Watch for “Deer Crossing” signs marking commonly-traveled areas by deer on the road ahead. Slow down immediately and proceed with caution until past the crossing point.
- Be aware deer usually travel in groups, so if you see one deer, there are likely to be others.
- When deer are sighted, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten them away. Do not depend on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer, as these devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
- Do not swerve to miss a deer – brake and stay in your lane. Losing control of your vehicle, crossing into another lane, hitting an oncoming vehicle, or leaving the roadway and striking a tree or utility pole will likely result in a much more serious outcome than hitting a deer.
- If you hit a deer, and your vehicle is damaged, stop at the scene, get your car off the road, if possible, turn on your vehicle hazard lights – and if you or anyone in your vehicle are injured, call 911.
- Do not touch the animal or get too close to it; an injured deer may bite or kick and are capable of causing serious injury.
As a reminder, Daylight Saving Time kicks in on Nov. 5, and that means it will be getting dark earlier in the evening.