When I was growing up, and my family was leaving a family gathering, we always made sure to say our “Love yous” and goodbyes to each other, and part of those goodbyes included a phrase which I must’ve heard a million times in my life: Be careful and watch for deer!
It’s no secret that Appalachia is plum full of deer, and like many subregions within the beautiful region of Appalachia, the hills and roads of Kyova are bursting with these suicidal wildlife. I’ve always wondered about the thought process behind these animals that cross the road at 2 o’clock in the morning without a worry in the world. I understand that deer in the wild are not capable of comprehending the dangers of motor vehicles, and it’s very possible that any given deer has spent its entire life inside of a dense forest with no roads and somehow meandered just far enough in a certain direction that it hit a road and met its first car.
In all my years of driving, I’ve hit countless deer. I’ve literally lost count of all the deer I’ve collided with and the costs of repairs for said collisions. I don’t consider myself a poor driver, yet I still have a knack for hitting deer. The simple fact of the matter is that they are inescapable. Some folks are luckier than others. I’ve met people who have lived here for their entire lives and have never hit a deer. I don’t understand it, but let’s look at the statistics.
The Statistics
Pulling from this article, there are over 1.5 million deer hit by motor vehicles every year in the United States, resulting in over 200,000 car accidents and over $1 billion in car repairs. A popular car magazine had an even higher estimate; 2.1 million affected deer, and over $10 billion in car repairs. Doing some quick math, it can be said that a deer is hit every 25 seconds in the United States. These statistics are concerning.
It should come as no surprise that Ohio and West Virginia crack the top ten on the list of states with the most deer collisions, especially in our regions of those states. The endless country roads of Lawrence County and Scioto County can be quite active, and the steep wooded hills of Wayne County are massive danger zones with twisting, turning, dark, and barren pathways.
According to the aforementioned article, citizens in West Virginia have a 1 in 39 chance of hitting a deer! According to State Farm, West Virginia has the highest risk of any state for colliding with animals.
These are lives being lost. Human lives and animal lives. These are also wallets being torn apart and struggling families being forced to choose between their vehicles and their rent. We have to figure out a way to lower these statistics for ourselves and prevent tourists from falling into the deer trap.
Tips to Avoid a Deer Collision
- Continuously scan both sides of the road a little bit into the distance, especially if you’re driving down a country road. The thing that I look for most is the eyeballs; your headlights will cause a reflection and should give you enough reaction time to slow down and avoid the deer. Most of the time a deer will run in front of you, but sometimes it will run into the side of your car.
- Attach a deer whistle to your car. Deer whistles are not scientifically proven to be effective, but in a situation like this I find that it’s better to ignore the scientific studies and go with your gut instinct. I’ve heard many anecdotal pieces of evidence that deer whistles work, and the way I see it is: it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? If deer whistles do work, then you’re avoiding collisions. If deer whistles don’t work, then you’re out ten dollars. Your safety is worth a lot more than ten dollars.
- Be extra attentive during peak commuting hours. Many people start their day early in the morning and end their day early in the evening. Meanwhile, deer are said to be more active from 5am to 8am and 5pm to 8pm. It’s important to be on the lookout always, because deer have no concept of time and roam freely whenever they wish.
- Use your bright lights when possible. As I mentioned earlier, looking off into the distance while you scan the road and paying close attention for little reflections can be a lifesaver, and your high beams will make this easier to see and make the reflection brighter. Of course, you should only use your high beams when there is no oncoming traffic. Shining your bright lights at oncoming vehicles is one of the cardinal sins of Kyova.
- Slow down if you’re able to avoid one deer. Deer are pack animals, meaning they often travel as groups. If you see one deer, you are very likely to see at least two or three more of them tagging closely behind. The deer in the back are more likely to be smaller deer, which is less damaging to your car, but still something that ideally one would want to avoid.
- Slam on your brakes if it’s impossible to avoid the deer and pray that your brakes are in good condition. It’s important not to swerve if you see a deer, as that can lead you directly into another deer, another car, or a ditch; all three of those situations are less-than-ideal.
Of course, you could purchase comprehensive coverage through your car insurance provider. This will help you pay for damages resulting from a collision with a deer, should these tips not work for you.
Conclusion
Hitting a deer is not fun. One minute you’re listening to your [favorite rap artist] and in an instant your headlight is shattered, your hood is dented, your bumper and fender are bent, and your wheel is making a funny noise. It can be terrifying thinking of what the next step is. The best thing to do is to avoid hitting a deer altogether, which sometimes is just out of our control, but all we can do is to be as careful as we can.
I hope this article was helpful for you and I hope that these tips help you avoid hitting a deer in Kyova.