Car-deer crashes down slightly in 2007

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By LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

December was a bad month for car-deer collisions in Lancaster County.

Sheriff Terry Wagner said there were 33 reported to his office.

That’s not to mention the minor car-deer brushes motorists drove away from and didn’t report.

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(AP file)

(AP file)

Wagner gave news media daily reports about the crashes, which included eight deputies, as more were reported.

“It sure seems like there are many, many car-deer crashes in Lancaster County,” he said.

But the county actually had 10 fewer reported in 2007, he said.

In all, there were 261 car-deer crashes in 2007 — 10 in which someone was injured.

In 2006, there were 271 crashes, 14 with injuries, according to numbers he released this week.

While there was more than one  car-deer crash per day in December, one month in 2007 had more.

November had 58.

October was third, with 31.

It’s evident October, November and December have the most, he said.

There are lots of factors, Wagner said. Two of the most important are hunting and rut – deer mating season – that have deer on the move.

August and July had the fewest car-deer crashes — just two and seven, respectively.

Car-deer crashes account for nearly 30 percent of all crashes reported to the sheriff’s office, Wagner said.

“The locations are all over the map,” he said.

So there aren’t certain places to avoid.

What is more likely is that crashes occurred near a tree line or waterway, the natural pathway of travel for deer, Wagner said.

He said motorists should drive defensively. Watch tree lines, especially around dusk.

But he’s heard of deer running into cars, too.

“Sometimes, there’s just not much you can do about that.”

Reach Lori Pilger at 473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.