There you are, sitting comfortably behind the wheel, driving through the countryside as evening turns into night. You're probably thinking of putting your feet up when you get to your destination. Perhaps there's a bottle of beer or a glass of wine with your name on it. Then, in one of those heart-stopping moments, the headlights suddenly show you a deer in your path. It's one of these handsome beasts, big with antlers.
Unfortunately it's not moving out of your way and, in your heart you know it's got real mass. If you hit it head-on, there's going to be a lot of damage to the deer, to the vehicle and possibly to you. So you do your best to steer away. The majority of drivers do swerve round without anything more than an acute nervous reaction. Some vehicles roll over. This is a problem in vehicles with a higher center of gravity. Some hit trees or other stationary targets off the road. These crashes get messy.
The Highway Administration collects statistics on deer-related accidents and the trend is upward. Although many states have a herd management policy in place, controlling numbers is not an exact science, and numbers seem to have been rising steadily. Despite more signs going up to warn drivers in areas where there are herds, accident claims have been rising. Coming into Fall, this is one of the two times in the year when herds move around more. It's one of these migration patterns sparked by the reproduction cycle and, at this time of year, it reaches its peak in November. As the dinosaur movies say, nature finds a way.
You should keep a proper lookout when the risk is at its highest, between 6 and 9, if you want to avoid becoming a statistic and also if you want to prevent your own auto insurance costs from spiralling after a crash. This means having your headlights on high beam whenever possible and driving within the limits of what you can see. If you arrive safely, you earned that beer or glass of wine and can confidently wait for lower auto insurance quotes at renewal time.
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