Don't be a Deer in the Headlights: Tips on Avoiding Deer Collisions

Getting a low cost quote for auto insurance is dependent on a lot of things: what kind of car you drive, how long you’ve been driving, where you live, and even your credit record. But one of the factors that weighs most heavily on the dollar signs that precede the rates you’ll find through online car insurance quotes is your accident record. Therefore, staying safe on the road is a primary concern not only for your personal safety but also for your bank account. While most people think that winter is one of the most perilous times on the road, it’s actually fall that has the potential to bring you bumper-to-hindquarters with some of the most damaging road hazards out there.

One of the biggest fall road hazards? Deer. In fact, studies have shown that more deer are killed by cars than by hunters, and deer are responsible for literally thousands of car accidents each year. So what can you do to keep yourself, your car, and the wild deer of the world safer? Here are a few tips to accomplish that while keeping your car insurance rates down.

• Be aware that fall is one of the busiest migration seasons for deer and that you don’t necessarily have to be driving on a road near a wooded area for one to dart out into the road in front of you.

• Deer aren’t loners; they usually travel in groups, where there’s safety in numbers. If you happen to see a deer by the side of the road, don’t immediately assume that he or she is alone. Slow down and keep your eyes open for more. This will lower the chances of an impact, save Bambi’s life, and it’ll make your car insurance shopping experience less of an exercise in impossible math.

• Don’t swerve if a deer jumps into your path. This probably sounds counterintuitive to most of us who’d rather put ourselves in jeopardy than harm an innocent creature, but the fact is that by doing so you increase the likelihood that you’ll put another person’s life at risk. Hitting a deer is far preferable to swerving into another vehicle, and will have a far lower impact on the size of your quote for auto insurance than, say, being responsible for another driver's injury.

• Flash your brights at the creature. Deer are given to fear-driven paralysis; flashing your high beams may wake them from their paralysis and send them on their merry way if they happen to be blocking your path. But proceed with caution even if this does work—remember, deer don’t travel alone.

Sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid a deer collision. But if you take some of the above advice to heart you can significantly decrease the odds, all the while increasing your chances at saving some serious money on car insurance.