Oh DEER!!

Deer season is fast approaching. Hunters all over Nebraska are getting their gear ready. However, guns and bows are not the only things that kill deer. Deer-vehicle collisions happen daily in this part of the country. Here are a few things that are good to know about collisions involving deer:

1. Always be scanning the ditches while driving especially at dawn and dusk. Deer are more active at these times of day.

2. If you can avoid the deer, apply the brake and swerve gently. An overly aggressive action can cause a loss of control by the driver which can put you in a worse situation than hitting the deer.

3. If the deer jumps out suddenly and there is no time to swerve, let off the gas and keep the vehicle pointed straight down the road. (Beware that the air bag can deploy but that doesn’t happen very often)

4. As far as your insurance is concerned, this claim will be covered under the comprehensive portion of your policy which usually doesn’t go against your insurance record. You can talk to your agent to verify that and get specific information.

People always ask us if deer whistles help alert the deer of your vehicle and I really don’t know the answer to that. We have seen carscome in that have hit deer and have deer whistles on them but most vehicles don’t have them. All I can say is good luck out there and please be careful.