You are driving along on a long winding road in the country. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a flash in your bright headlights. You feel a bang as your car crashes.

If you are lucky, you awake in the back of a paramedic van or on a hospital bed. If you are not lucky, your family and friends are making your funeral arrangements. What happened? You have become another victim of the increasing number of crashes between cars and large wildlife such as deer or moose.

According to the National Safety Council, in 2000, there were 520,000 animal-related accidents resulting in 100 deaths and 4,000 injuries. Deer/auto collision cost about $2,000 per claim for repairs and injuries. However, costs could run as high as $8,000. But you can avoid being the next large wildlife crash victim by following some simple precautions.

Be vigilant in early morning and evening hours, the most active time for deer. Unfortunately, these are the times when drivers are most exhausted – getting to work after a night of sleep that never seems enough or tired after a long day on the job. To add to your alertness, have some coffee before going on the road or even have a cup with you. The wildlife moves fast so you have to move that much faster to avoid a crash.
Drive with caution when you are moving through a deer crossing zone. Caution means using your high beams to see as far ahead as you can down the road. Caution also means slow down and do not overdrive the local conditions. If you can not see something in the road fast enough to react to it then you can not avoid crashing into it whether it is another car, a deer or even a person.

If you see a deer on the side of the road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away. If the deer is in the roadway, brake firmly. Do not swerve. It can confuse the deer as to where to run. It can also cause you to lose control and hit a tree or another car.

Keep alert as deer and other wildlife do not travel alone. And, always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing a seat belt. Even if you do not collide with anything, not wearing your seat belt can get you hurt when trying to avoid a crash.

Unfortunately, you can not always avoid a crash. If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. The frightened animal, in attempting to move, could hurt you or itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.

And, one piece of good news if you could not avoid the animal, your car insurance policy covers collision with an animal under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy. All you have to do is report the crash to your agent and get repair estimates.

Of course avoiding a crash is always better than having to deal with one after it happens so be safe in areas where large wildlife may harm you or your vehicle.

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