Danger on the Autumn Roads
   And Why Hunters are Not to Blame

Summary
 
Motorists on today’s roadways face a rapidly escalating danger that puts the welfare of both their property and person in great risk – the risk of colliding with the ever expanding whitetail deer population. According to the National Safety Council, an estimated 100 human fatalities and $700 million in property damage occur every year in the Untied States as a result of deer-vehicle collisions (RMEJ, 12 May). As the fall season approaches, the probability of suffering a vehicle collision with a deer is greatly increased. According to many animal rights organizations, it is the hunters of America who are solely to blame for this dramatic rise in deer-vehicle collisions during the autumn months. It is the belief of these animal rights groups that deer-vehicle accidents are the result of hunters chasing frightened deer into the busy streets. However, when the statistical accident data is fully analyzed, it is easy to conclude that hunters do not deserve the blame for the rise in deer-vehicle collision in the fall because:
 
  * According to the Federal Highway Administration, 68% - 85% of deer-vehicle collisions occur at
   night -- a time when hunters are not in the woods
 
  * According to accident statistics, the peak of deer-collisions occurs in the middle of November.
   The middle of November is not the peak of the hunting season, but rather it is the peak of the
   the rut. And it is this deer mating cycle that is the true culprit behind the autumn rise in deer-vehicle
   collisions. This collision-rut argument is backed up by Erie Insurance which reports, "In all states,
    the first two weeks of November have more deer claims than any other two-week period during
    the year, and this time period coincides with the peak of the mating season. "
  
  * Not only are hunters not the cause of the autumn rise in deer-vehicle collisions, the evidence
   actually proves the exact opposite – areas that allow hunting have fewer incidents than areas where
   hunting is forbidden. The statistics show that the number of yearly deer collisions near managed
   hunt areas in Montgomery County went down 74% over the last six years. Meanwhile, the number
   of yearly deer collisions near the Humane Society's non-lethal management area in Montgomery
   County actually went up 105% over the last six years.
 

 
The statistical evidence proves that the autumn roads can be very treacherous to driver (and also the deer for that matter). But the evidence also proves there is no significant correlation between hunters in the woods and these autumn collisions in the streets. In fact, hunting has proven itself to be one of the most effective methods of reducing the deer population, and thus simultaneously helping to reduce the number of deer-vehicle collisions. The true culprit of autumn deer-vehicle collisions rests on the shoulders of the deer themselves and their biological urge to reproduce. It’s a shame that the natural sex drive of the deer can have such devastating effects on the human drive home from work.

 
Full Report
 
Download full report in Adobe pdf format --> MSA Deer Collision Report.pdf (29 KB)
 
View full report as a webpage -->  MSA Deer Collision Report Webpage
 

This report was researched and written by MSA Director at Large, Chris Bennett. November, 2002.
 

Report Webpage | Report pdf

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