Car + Deer = no good
My mom has been freaking me out lately about deer running in front of my car (mostly because we’ve been making the trip to Ann Arbor a lot and the stretches of M-59 and M-23 seem like prime deer crossing). According to SEMCOG’s Michigan Deer Crash Coalition, there were 6,196 vehicle-deer crashes in southeast Michigan in 2004. The top three communities for deer crashes were Rochester Hills (154), Scio Township (150) and Oakland Township (132).
Do you know what to do if little Bambi runs in front of your vehicle? Plow right into him — he needs to learn his lesson and even better if his friends are watching.
Just kidding. Here’s what SEMCOG says to do:
Don’t swerve!
Brake firmly
Hold on to the steering wheel
Stay in your lane
Bring your vehicle to a controlled stop
Your mom isn’t the only one telling people about watching out for deer. I noticed on the way to work a few days ago that the electronic billboards on north and southbound I-75 – the ones that usually announce freeway travel times or accidents – now say:
FALL IS HERE
DON’T VEER FOR DEER
Perhaps the rhyme will help people to remember : )
Haha, well with a cute little rhyme like that, I couldn’t possibly forget.
I saw those signs today and was mentally preparing myself for deer that may run out from behind the Motor City Casino.