New warning on deer road hazard

The AA is warning drivers to be alert to the hazard of deer collisions that peaks during October. The autumn rut sees some species of deer on the move to their breeding areas.

The roads through Cannock Chase have recently been highlighted as among the worst in the country for accidents involving deer with the launch of the national Deeraware campaign. According to AA Insurance the average claim payout for a deer strike is £1,403. Last year nationally there were at least 42,500 reported deer strikes.

Some estimates suggest there are as many as 74,000 strikes annually with many going unreported.

The most likely time for deer encounters is around dawn and dusk. And, with evenings drawing in, the movement of deer is increasingly likely to coincide with rush-hour traffic.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance: "Deer are an often unseen hazard until it's too late. As darkness falls collisions happen with little or no warning as the animals may literally leap out of woodland into the road.

"But places where deer are most likely to be seen are indicated by triangular hazard warning signs showing an image of a deer.

"At 60 miles per hour, hitting a deer is serious – not just for the animal but car occupants as well. A natural reaction is to try to avoid the collision but as a result, drivers may miss the deer and hit other vehicles or trees which could be even worse.

"That high cost tells its own tale. Cars can easily be written off in a collision with a deer and car occupants are often injured. Not only that, an increase in premium is likely to follow as some or all of any no-claim bonus will be lost, unless it's protected."

Although the October rut brings one of the highest insurance claim peaks, deer strikes are a year-round problem.

There are 1.5 million deer in the UK.