00:01Well, it is now November, which means we're in the month where you are most likely to come across a deer while driving and possibly even accidentally collide with that deer.
00:11So first of all, let's talk about how big of a problem is this?
00:14Personally, I have been lucky enough to never hit a deer, knock on wood, but I'm sure a lot of you have been in that situation.
00:20It can cause a lot of damage to your car and even be very dangerous for you yourself.
00:24Overall, there's around 2.1 million deer vehicle collisions every single year.
00:31So it is a big problem and it can cause more than $10 billion in economic losses, accounts for some 59,000 human injuries and even 440 human deaths.
00:41Like I said, it can cause a lot of damage and be very dangerous for you yourself.
00:46Now, certain states are more likely to run into these problems than others just because of the deer population.
00:52So we're talking about Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
00:57So just because you're not in one of these states doesn't mean that you won't ever come across a deer crossing the road that maybe seems like it comes out of nowhere.
01:04So let's go over some of those safety tips.
01:06What should you do?
01:07Dusk and dawn are the times you need to be most alert for this.
01:11At night, if there's no cars around, it's safe to do so.
01:14You can use your high beams.
01:15Visibility becomes a little bit easier.
01:17If you do come across a deer, you don't want to swerve.
01:19Just make sure you hit the brakes very firmly.
01:22Watch for those deer crossing signs on the side of the road.
01:24And of course, keep a safe following distance.
01:26Give yourself time to hit the brakes.
01:29Some other things that you can keep in mind.
01:31If you see one deer, it's likely that others are around.
01:35So look out for them.
01:36Slow down.
01:37Be ready to hit the brakes if you need to.
01:40Also, look for those deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road.
01:43It could mean they're going to cross the road sooner rather than later.
01:46And also, make sure you're scanning around while you're driving.
01:49Look for deer in wooded lots, fence rows, and field edges.
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