Watch out for the deer
Burlington County (N.J.) Times: Late October and early November are to car insurance agents what tax season is to accountants. The number of car-deer collisions inevitably increases and the dangers are real.
For the uninitiated, this time of year marks deer rutting, or mating season. The deer are less responsive to their surroundings and much less cautious. Bucks are focused on finding a friendly doe and not on any cars that may be traveling on nearby roadways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 1.5 million auto-deer collisions per year, resulting in damage losses of around $1.5 billion.
In 2004, there were 150 human deaths in the U.S. that were directly related to car-deer accidents, according to State Farm Insurance.
Deer-related collisions are always a concern for local drivers, especially in the more rural and wooded parts of the county.
But we urge readers to take extra care while traveling in the coming weeks, particularly early in the morning and at dusk.