ISSUE: Deer on the roads
OUR VIEW: It's hunting season, but the road is not where you want to fine your deer
Deer season is in full swing. Lots of people are out enjoying South Carolina's longest deer-hunting season in the nation. A primary reason for that season of nearly five months is the population of white tail deer in the state: There are nearly a million deer, one for every three people.
You don't have to be deer hunter to find them. They abound in wooded areas, and not only those woods in rural South Carolina. There are plenty of white tail right here in Orangeburg.
They are a threat -- a primary threat to motorists. And nowhere more than the deer-rich T&D Region.
Each year there are more than 1.5 million deer/auto collisions resulting in approximately 150 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries and over $1 billion in vehicle damage nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that last year there were 17 deaths attributed to deer and other animal collisions. There were also 1,021 injuries as a result of 3,150 collisions with deer and other animals in 2006 in the state.
The Insurance Information Institute estimates the average cost per insurance claim relating to deer collisions is about $3,000, with costs varying depending on the type of vehicle and severity of damage; claims involving medical payments can add thousands of dollars. In a survey of insurance companies that track deer collisions in South Carolina, the average claim is below the national average at $ 2,170. Collision with a deer or animals is covered under the comprehensive portion of your automobile policy.
Most collisions with a deer occur during this time of year when the animals are mating and migrating.
The Insurance Information Institute advises being especially alert at dawn and at dusk when deer venture out to eat.
Here are other basic cautions for drivers:
* Slow down when approaching a deer standing near the side of a road and be prepared. If startled, it can bolt onto the roadway and into your path. If necessary, honk your horn and flash your lights to try to scare the deer.
* Be alert for more deer than you may see at that moment. Where there's one deer, there are often more nearby.
* Deer-crossing signs are there because it has been determined this is an area where they congregate and migrate. Take the signs seriously and, obviously, be particularly cautious in wooded and agricultural areas.
* Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. The devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
* If you think you're going to hit a deer, then hit it. If you swerve to avoid it, the results can be even worse. If you hit the deer, do not touch it.
An adult deer can weigh more than 200 pounds and a car striking one cannot only result in the death of the deer, but incur thousands of dollars in damage and may cause the car to veer off the road into even more danger for the driver.
More danger is not what South Carolina needs. From the interstate to the country road, watch out for deer.