

Sometimes, insurance companies will try to get out of paying for the damage or will seek to penalize you by raising rates. Insurance Companies May Try Not to Pay, or Raise Rates In North Carolina (and many other states) there is a legal principle called the “sudden emergency doctrine” that can be used to defend yourself from accusations of negligence. In other words, an action that might have otherwise been negligent, might not be so if you are confronted with a surprise emergency situation. If you report the accident to your insurance company or if someone is injured as a result, you will need proof that you faced a “sudden emergency.” If you see any animal skin, hair, or other parts on your car (the grill is the most likely location), get it on camera. “I hit a deer, but it ran off!” Don’t worry, this is common, and it doesn’t mean your claim is doomed. To try to ensure your insurance claim is approved, take a photo of any evidence that shows you hit a deer, especially the deceased deer. Many people wonder after being involved in a deer-related accident, is hitting a deer considered an accident? The answer is yes, but you will need evidence that this is what happened. ‘I Hit a Deer, What Do I Do?’ - Get Evidence That a Deer Caused the Crash Get your car safely off the road if possible and call 911 to report the accident. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. Do not touch the deer if you crash into it. There’s no proof deer whistles, deer fences, or reflectors reduce deer-vehicle crashes.ġ1.

Braking through the impact could cause the hood of your vehicle to dip down, which can propel the animal through the windshield.ġ0. Insurance company GEICO advises that you let off the brakes rather than slamming on them if you see you’re about to hit a deer. Let off your brakes if a collision is imminent. You may flip your vehicle, veer it into oncoming traffic, or overcorrect and run off the road, causing a more serious crash.ĩ. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. Deer are easily mesmerized by consistent light, so flashing your lights may also help get the deer moving.Ĩ.
DEER DRIVE TIPS HOW TO
If you’re wondering how to scare a deer away from your car, using the horn is probably the best method. If you see a deer, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast. If the car ahead of you hits a deer, you may also crash.ħ. This is especially important at night when visibility is low. Increase the distance between your vehicle and other cars. Watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights.Ħ. Crashes with deer are most common in these areas.ĥ. Be cautious around bridges, overpasses, railroad tracks, streams, and ditches. Many people injured in deer-related car crashes were not wearing their seatbelt.Ĥ. Slow down in posted deer-crossing areas and heavily wooded areas, especially around dawn or dusk, which is when they are most active.ģ. Deer travel in groups if you see one deer cross the road, others are likely nearby.Ģ. Proceed cautiously even after the deer is gone. Here’s what the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and other roadway safety experts suggest to try to avoid colliding with a deer.ġ.

The Best Way to Avoid Deer While Driving - 11 Tips What can you do to avoid becoming a statistic? Follow these 11 tips. They’re especially active from October through December, which is their mating season and our deer-hunting season.Īnimal-related crashes generally hover at around 20,000 each year in North Carolina, and they can cause serious injury or death to you as well as the animal. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission estimates there are roughly a million deer in our state.
