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11 October 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, AAA Kansas and the Kansas Turnpike Authority are raising awareness as deer become more active.
Now, through the end of the year, deer are more active due to mating season, with November typically the peak time.
Roadway safety officials suggest drivers:
Be especially watchful at dawn and dusk when deer are more active.
If you see one deer, expect others, as deer seldom travel alone.
Be alert and reduce speeds near wooded areas or green spaces and near water sources such as streams and ponds.
Deer crossing signs show areas where high numbers of vehicle-deer collisions have occurred in the past; but they can happen on any roadway, including city streets.
Do not swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Motorists could then veer into oncoming traffic, run off the road, hit objects or overturn.
Use bright headlights when there is no oncoming traffic and scan for the reflective eyes of deer.
If a collision occurs, move the vehicle to the roadway’s shoulder. Then, if possible, call law enforcement – KHP dispatch at *47, the Kansas Turnpike at *KTA or local law enforcement at 911.
Put the vehicle’s hazard lights on, whether it is light or dark outside.
Remain in the vehicle with your seat belt fastened to be better protected.
Contact your insurance company to report any vehicle damage.
Across the state, 37% of all single-vehicle crashes in 2022 involved a collision with a deer. The Kansas Department of Transportation reports six people were killed and 575 injured in collisions with deer in 2022.
Anyone involved in a collision with a deer or animal resulting in personal injury or property damage totaling $1,000 or more must report the incident to the nearest law enforcement agency. In 2022, the average insurance claim in Kansas for an animal strike was almost $7,000, according to Shawn Steward, AAA of Kansas.
As for the deer carcass, the KDWP has a process you need to know before taking the animal.
“A salvage tag is required to remove all or part of a deer carcass from an accident site and can be issued by a KDWP game warden, KHP trooper or sheriff’s deputy,” said Nadia Marji, public affairs and engagement officer for KDWP.