With fall and less daylight upon us, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is warning that it is peak season for deer-vehcle collisions.
Since 2019, there have been 109,507 deer-involved crashes on Ohio roadways. While 95% of deer-involved crashes only resulted in property damage, 44 crashes were fatal and resulted in 45 deaths. Additionally, from 2019-2023, 47% of these crashes occurred in October, November and December, with 22% occurring in November alone.
“Practicing safe driving habits and staying fully focused on the road increases your chances of spotting deer before it’s too late,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “If you do strike a deer, prioritize your safety by moving to a secure location if possible, turning on your hazard lights and reporting the incident.”
In the past five years, there have been 406 deer-vehicle collisions in Lawrence County, which is lower than our neighboring counties. In that same time period, Scioto County has had 764, Gallia County has had 510 and Jackson County has had 952 collisions.
The most crashes involving deer have happened in Stark (3,138), Richland (2,880), Hancock (2,725) and Defiance (2,560) counties. Combined, these four counties accounted for 10% of all deer-involved crashes. Additionally, more than 100 deer-involved crashes have happened in all but one Ohio county since 2019.
Simple tips to avoid an animal collision are: scan the road ahead, use high-beam headlights when able, be extra cautious at dawn and dusk and if a collision is unavoidable, brake — don’t swerve to stay in your lane.
Motorists are reminded they can safely dial #677 from their mobile device to be connected to the nearest Ohio State Highway Patrol Post during a roadway emergency.