Drivers, beware, during deer-mating season
Motorists, beware: Amorous animals will soon be bolting to and fro in and out of traffic, looking for love.

In fact, deer-mating season will peak soon — beginning in late October, throughout November and into December.

Deer are on the prowl, with only love on their minds. For that reason, driving on rural and suburban roads this time of year requires extra vigilance.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that 1.5 million deer-motor vehicle crashes occur each year on U.S. roads, resulting in at least $1 billion in vehicle damage.

In New Jersey, [one] insurance company paid an average $2,840 claim on more than 200 deer vs. vehicle crashes in 2008.

These are expensive crashes, not to mention very dangerous, so it's best to be as aware as possible. Even though development has shrunken deer habitat, bringing them closer to humans, the animals are still behaving as if in the wild.

Deer mature and begin to search for mates in the fall and may roam as far as four miles to do so. Many are also searching for food and shelter. Deer tend to travel during the same times that many motorists are driving to and from work — early morning and late afternoon.

AAA Mid-Atlantic offers the following tips for drivers:

• Buckle up and do not speed.A decrease in speed gives you more time to react

• Be observant. Look for deercrossing signs indicating areas where deer frequently travel. Deer are creatures of habit and might often use the same path again - remember where you see them

• Be alert. A deer standing near a roadside may suddenly run across the road. Slow down and use your horn to scare the deer. Use highbeams for greater visibility

• Look for groups. Deer travel in groups, so if you see one crossing the road ahead, slow down, because there are probably others in the area but out of view

• Never swerve. Instead, slow down and brake. Swerving can cause you to lose control of your vehicle and strike another vehicle or object along the roadway

• Do not rely on devices. There is no conclusive evidence that hood-mounted deer whistles and other such devices work

• Slow down. If a crash with a deer is unavoidable, AAA recommends slowing down and releasing your foot from the brake before impact. This will raise the front end of the car during the crash and increase the likelihood that the animal will go underneath the vehicle instead of through the windshield

• Do not try to move a deer.An injured deer might panic and seriously injure a good Samaritan. Call police or animal control for assistance.

David Weinstein

Spokesman AAA Mid-Atlantic

Wilmington, Del.