North Yorkshire Police say they have attended 16 collisions involving deer on the roads of York and North Yorkshire so far this month.
As you can imagine, these incidents put motorists at risk, and often result in terrible suffering for the animals involved – not to mention the demand they put on police resources having to deal with the aftermath.
For the deer the impact is often fatal but it can also cause serious injury and occasionally kill the driver too.
Deer collisions typically peak at this time of year as the animals search for new territories – so the message is please take extra care.
When you are travelling through a forested area, or see deer warning signs there are some things that you should always do:
- check your speed
- stay alert
- be prepared to stop
- and remember that if you are using headlights, turn on full-beams when you can.
However you should dip them if you do see a deer, as they may ‘freeze’ and more deer may follow the first one you see, so remain vigilant.
Collisions this month
So far this month, collisions have been reported to police on:
- Wednesday 26 May – one on the A64 at West Heslerton, near Pickering, another at Hillam near Selby; and a third on the A170 at Helmsley.
- Monday 24 May on the A64 near Tadcaster;
- Saturday 22 May on the A169 near Malton;
- Friday 14 May on the A19 north of Easingwold;
- Wednesday 12 May – one south of Romanby, Hambleton, and another at Skelton, York;
- Tuesday 11 May – one on the A19 at Crockey Hill, York, and another at Camblesforth, Selby;
- Monday 10 May – one on the A19 at Knayton, Hambleton, and another on the B1248 at North Grimston, Ryedale;
- Sunday 9 May on the A166 at Gate Helmsley, Ryedale;
- Saturday 8 May at Rievaulx, Ryedale;
- Friday 7 May on the A59 at East Marton, Craven; and
- Sunday 2 May on the A169 at Low Marishes, Ryedale.
The highest-risk times for deer collisions are from sunset to midnight, and the hours shortly before and after sunrise. Collisions typically peak this month as the animals search for new territories.
If you hit a deer while driving, your priorities, in this order, should be:
- Keep yourself and anyone with you as safe as you can
- Park your car in the safest place with hazard lights on
- Call an ambulance if human injuries warrant it
- Call the police, giving as precise a location as you can
- Don’t approach live deer – they may hurt you, or run across traffic causing another collision.