Brighton Among Top Ten Southeast Michigan Communities for Deer Crashes in 2010

Livingston County had a reported 870 deer-related car crashes in 2010, according to the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition (MDCC).

Of those 870 crashes, 84 of them happened in -- ranking 10th in the top ten southeast Michigan communities for deer crashes last year. Hartland Township ranked 9th with 87 deer crashes.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is a member of the MDCC, which works to decrease vehicle-deer crashes. T

The MDCC notes that deer crashes occur most frequently during October, November and most occur on two-lane roads between dusk and dawn, or 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.

There were a total of 55,867 deer crashes in Michigan last year, 1,277 resulted in injuries. There were 11 deaths, eight of those were motorcyclists.

SEMCOG and the MDCC released tips to avoid dangerous encounters with deer while on the roads:

• Watch for deer especially at dawn and dusk.
• If you see one deer, approach cautiously, as there may be more out of sight. 
• Deer often travel single file, so if you see one cross a road, chances are more are nearby waiting to cross, too. When startled by an approaching vehicle, they can panic and dart out from any direction without warning.
• Be alert all year long, especially on two-lane roads. Watch for deer warning signs. They are placed at known deer-crossing areas and serve as a first alert that deer may be near.
• Slow down when traveling through deer-population areas.

Motorcyclists should:

• Be alert for deer whenever they ride.  Deer-vehicle crashes happen in urban, suburban and rural areas.
• Slow down. Decreasing speed gives a motorcyclist more time to spot an animal and react.
• Cover the brakes to reduce reaction time.
• Use high beam headlights and additional driving light when possible.
• If riding in a group, spread out riders in a staggered formation. If one rider hits a deer, this will lessen the chance that other riders will be involved.
• Wear protective gear at all times.

For more information, visit www.michigandeercrash.org.