Drivers warned to look out for deer
WITH clocks turning back last weekend, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has warned motorists, including those using Lochaber roads, that collisions between deer and vehicles peak at this time of year.
With night falling earlier, the peak commuting time coincides with deer coming out to feed on grass verges near roadsides.
Because of this, SNH, in conjunction with Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland, is placing warning messages on electronic road signs.
From Monday until November 20, the signs will warn motorists at key locations on the main trunk roads. These messages will be seen on signs on the A9, A87, A82, A85 and the A835.
A report released earlier this year commissioned by SNH and Transport Scotland revealed collisions between vehicles and deer have increased by 10 per cent in Scotland since previous figures were collated.
The report showed that from January 2013 to December 2015 more than 4,600 recorded collisions between vehicles and deer on Scottish roads were submitted. However, taking into account the many incidents which go unreported, the report estimates the true figure could be as high as 9,000 per year, resulting in 50 to 100 human injuries. The highest number of collisions occurs in early evening through to midnight, with a slightly lower peak from 6am to 9am.
Over the past 50 years, the number and range of wild deer in Scotland have increased, while the volume of road traffic has almost doubled in the same period. This combination has led to higher deer-vehicle collision rates across the country, with the greatest increase in Aberdeenshire, Fife and the central belt.
This corresponds with the rise in the populations of roe deer, which are highly adaptable to lowland habitats.
Red deer are regularly involved in a significant proportion of reported deer-to-vehicle collisions in five council areas, especially Highland and Argyll and Bute.
Jamie Hammond, SNH deer management officer, explained: ‘From October to December, there’s a higher risk of deer on the road as deer move down to lower ground for food and shelter.
‘The highest risk is from sunset to midnight and shortly before and after sunrise. Particularly in these peak times, we advise motorists to slow down and watch for deer crossing roads.
‘Be aware that if you’re driving near woods, deer can suddenly appear before you have time to brake. If you do hit a deer, report it to the police even if you’re uninjured and your car isn’t damaged, as the deer may be fatally injured and suffering.’
Dr Jochen Langbein, who oversees the Deer Vehicle Collisions Project, added: ‘In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK and many other European countries, wild deer numbers have increased significantly over recent decades.
‘When traffic volume is taken into consideration, the risk of a collision with a deer is about twice as high per vehicle-mile driven in Scotland compared with England.
‘Many people think most accidents with deer and vehicles occur on more remote Highland roads but in Scotland at least 40 per cent occur on A-class trunk roads or motorways.’