The number of deer crashes in Kane County are up, and the same holds true throughout the state of Illinois. The good news is that there were fewer human fatalities and injuries. However, this does not mean that injuries caused by car accidents are gone completely. Car accidents caused by reckless humans continue to happen due to bad driving. If you’ve experienced an accident due to someone else’s negligence then you may want to check out someone like this St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer. One way you can avoid an accident whether it involves a deer or another human is to make sure you’re fully aware while driving.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Illinois State Police this week reminded motorists that this is the time of year to be on high alert for deer on Illinois roads.

The latest statistics show that motor vehicle crashes involving deer increased slightly in Illinois last year: 15,356 crashes in 2014, compared to 15,334 crashes in 2013. There were 14,847 crashes that resulted in property damage only in 2014, compared to 14,811 in 2013.

In Kane County, the number is up from 311 to 319 during that same time frame. Kane County had the ninth-highest number of collisions with deer of all the counties in Illinois.

Despite the increases, there were fewer fatalities resulting from crashes involving deer: four fatalities in 2014, down from six fatalities in 2013. The number of injuries in motor vehicle crashes involving deer also declined, from 617 in 2013 to 570 in 2014.

On average, nearly half of all crashes involving deer in Illinois happen in October, November and December. About 80 percent of crashes involving deer happen on rural roads at twilight or nighttime.

The top 10 counties for crashes involving deer in 2014 were:

• Cook 428
• Madison 428
• Will 401
• Sangamon 394
• Fulton 350
• Peoria 340
• Lake 324
• Kane 319
• Rock Island 290
• Jackson 288

• Reduce your speed near water, farm fields, and wooded areas; be prepared to stop.
• Deer will often cross roads and double back; make sure deer have moved away from the road before proceeding.
• If you see one deer, be aware that others may be close behind.
• Alert other motorists to the presence of deer by tapping your brakes.
• Don’t swerve into traffic or off the road if you see a deer; instead, slow to a stop.

Here are some things to remember if you are involved in a motor vehicle crash with a deer:

• Pull to a safe location off of the roadway.
• Be sure to turn on your emergency flashers.
• If anyone is injured or the vehicle needs to be towed, a police officer will need to respond to the scene to complete a crash report.
• If there are no injuries and the vehicle can be driven from the scene, it is likely that you can phone in the information and a crash report can be completed.
• If you are phoning in the information for the crash report, be sure you have the following information available: time of crash, location of crash, vehicle registration information, insurance information, and names and phone numbers of any passengers in the vehicle with you at the time of crash.

Did You Know?

A driver involved in a crash with a deer may take possession of the animal. Click this page on the DNR website for more information on how this process works. Those who are interested in how deer/vehicle collision data is used in deer management can find more information by clicking this link on the DNR’s wildlife web page.

What To Do If You Hit a Deer

• Pull off onto the shoulder of the road and turn on your emergency flashers.
• Attend to any injured passengers. Do not get out of the vehicle to check on an injured deer or to pull a dead deer from the road.
• Call 911 to report the accident. They will dispatch the appropriate law enforcement officials to assist you. Illinois law requires reporting of accidents that result in $500 or more in damage; additionally, an accident report must be filed.
• A motorist who hits and kills a deer with a motorized vehicle can legally claim the deer to salvage the meat, hide, and antlers. Write down the date the deer was taken, the sex of the deer, the location of the accident, and the method by which the carcass was disposed. Keep this information on file.
• If the motorist who struck the deer does not claim it, any other Illinois citizen may legally claim the deer. Otherwise, the municipal, county or state roads department can remove the carcass.
• If the deer is to be taken to a taxidermist or tannery, contact an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Officer to obtain a tag before delivering the deer.

SOURCES: IDOT press release, Illinois DNR website

Read More

• 311 Deer-Related Crashes in Kane County Last Year