There have been 154 car-deer crashes on rural roads in Lancaster County this year. That’s a 15 percent increase over last year. Sheriff Terry Wagner says there are several factors that result in the more of these collisions. “Darkness comes earlier that coincides more with commute times and harvest is in full swing if not quite done.”
He also says this is archery hunting season, which keeps deer on the move during the day. Wagner urges drivers to slow down around wooded areas and creeks, which are natural pathways for wildlife.
If you encounter a deer in the roadway Wagner says don’t swerve. “We don’t want people driving into oncoming traffic lanes or swerving into a ditch and potentially rolling. Sometimes it’s better to hit the wildlife if you can’t avoid the crash.
Wagner says 70 percent of the car-deer crashes happen in the last two and a half months of the year. “We can anticipate another 100 crashes between now and the first of the year.”