Drivers beware: Mating season means more deer on roadways
As deer-mating season gets into full swing, Illinois motorists should be prepared to see more Bambis in the roadway, according to transportation officials.
Vehicle crashes involving deer are most common during breeding season, which begins in autumn and lasts through the winter months. In Illinois these collisions begin to ramp up when deer are most active in October and peak in November, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
In 2016, nearly 15,000 crashes in Illinois involved deer. Many of those collisions occurred on rural roadways during early morning or evening hours.
Illinois has created a map plotting the prevalence of deer-related accidents from 2005 through 2014. In Chicago, stretches of the Kennedy Expressway appear to have the highest deer activity among the major highways.
Because deer are creatures of habit, it’s common to see them taking the same path or doubling back.
During mating season, drivers are encouraged to keep a safe distance between other vehicles and be prepared to stop. Motorists are advised to slow to a stop and wait for deer to move along rather than swerve into traffic or off the road to go around them.
To coax deer to move from the roadway, state officials recommend that drivers flash their headlights or honk their horns.