A deer warning

Safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist is advising drivers to take extra care in areas where deer are common, as their breeding season gets underway.

The coming weeks mean deer are more mobile than usual, bringing them onto roads and increasing the risk of collisions.

The human death toll from deer collisions ranges between 10 and 20 annually, and industry estimates put the cost of damage to vehicles alone to be at least £17 million.

Estimates indicate that up to 75,000 deer are killed each year in road collisions.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth says:“We encourage drivers to be extra observant, especially as the mornings and evenings get darker. Be ready to take appropriate avoiding action particularly at dawn and dusk – the most dangerous times.