Be alert for deer when you take to the roads
AS the clocks go back this weekend, journeys next week may feel different for many drivers, even on familiar routes.
This time of year we see an increase in the number of deer collisions and our advice is to take care while driving and look out for deer.
Drivers may easily be caught unaware on roads they travel every day by the sudden appearance of deer in their path.
But there are some simple tips they can use to help reduce the risk.
The advice to drivers is:
When you see deer warning signs or are travelling through a heavily wooded or forested stretch of road, check your speed and stay alert;
If your headlights are on, use full beams when you can, but dip them if you see deer as they may freeze on the spot instead of leaving the road;
If you see a deer, look for another. They often gather in herds and follow each other as they move through the landscape;
Only brake sharply and stop if there is no danger of being hit by following traffic. Use your hazard lights.
Try to come to a stop as far away from an animal as possible to enable it to leave the roadside without panic.
Try not to suddenly swerve to avoid a deer. Hitting oncoming traffic or another obstacle could lead to a more serious collision.
If you must stop, use your hazard warning lights.
Many drivers have said that being
aware of the risk of a deer collision has helped them avoid a collision.
However, if you do find yourself involved in a collision:
Keep yourself and anyone with you as safe as you can;
Park your car in the safest place with hazard lights on. Consider using it to also warn other road users;
Call an ambulance if human injuries warrant it;
Call the police.
The police can also contact specialists to deal with injured deer. Never try to move deer off the road yourself as this will put you at great risk of injury.
For more information, visit:
deeraware.com Jeremy Phillips, National highways
head of road user safety
OUR series of contrasting aerial photographs taken over 40 years apart continues today with a view familiar to thousands of city and county folk.
The centrepiece of both is Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road stadium, which has changed somewhat since the first photo was taken in the 1970s.
Also showing is the (now) muchloved Granby Halls, to the left of the stadium on the triangle of land.
It consisted of two halls, the main arena and a skating rink. The site, built as the training halls for Leicester’s Army recruits during the First World War, was used for various functions, including major music
A treasure trove of 1970s and 80s aerial photos from across Leicester and Leicestershire has been uncovered by Leicester Mercury chief photographer Andy Baker. Using the work of former Mercury photographer we have placed each one alongside a ‘today’ view from Google Earth as a comparison, making for what we think is a fascinating series concerts featuring the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Who, until it was demolished in 2001, having closed three years earlier when it became too expensive to maintain.
The Google Earth picture, top right, is not quite up to date as Tigers’ new development of a hotel complex is well advanced now.
Our Now and Then series was inspired by the discovery of former Mercury photographer Peter Elliott’s aerial images, which give a fascinating insight into how the cityscape has changed since the 1970s and 80s.
The treasure trove of aerial photos from across Leicestershire were uncovered recently by his family and brought to the attention of our chief photographer, Andy Baker.
The shots cover areas of the city and wider county from an era when the Mercury would charter a small aircraft for the day and despatch one of its team of photographers to get the images from above.