(WWJ) -- Oh, deer...
As nearly 600,000 people are heading out Monday for the beginning of deer hunting season, AAA is cautioning drivers not to veer for deer.
“If a crash is unavoidable, don’t swerve, brake firmly, hold onto the steering wheel, stay in your lane and bring your car to a controlled stop,” said the AAA.
More than 43% of vehicle crashes involving deer occur during the months of October, November and December, according to AAA.
Oakland County had the most vehicle-deer crashes in 2020 at around 1,800.
The auto club group reports that 1,400 people were injured last year in vehicle-deer collisions including two motorcyclists and three in cars losing their lives.
Not only are collisions with deer dangerous, they’re expensive. In Michigan, these crashes cause at least $130 million in damage annually, according to AAA.
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Michigan has a population of 1.7 million deer and they frequently travel in groups, so if you see one deer cross the road, chances are that’s not the only one.
Just over 51,000 vehicle-deer crashes happened in 2020, down almost 6% from 2019.
