15 November 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Kansas drivers need to be aware that November is the peak time for deer mating season.
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, the Kansas Highway Patrol worked two crashes involving deer. One was on Interstate 70 in Saline County around 9 p.m., and the other was on the Kansas Turnpike in Butler County around 1:15 a.m. In both cases, the deer emerged, and the drivers struck them. The occupants of the vehicles received minor injuries.
In Lane County, the sheriff’s office responded to a motorcycle collision with a deer around 6:15 p.m. The driver was transported to the hospital and was conscious at the time.
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.
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.
The Kansas Department of Transportation reports six people were killed and 575 injured in collisions with deer in 2022.