Deer Creating Driving Hazard For Maryland Motorists

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Deer in the region are entering their mating season, and that means danger on the roads. They sometimes run into oncoming traffic and cause an accident.

Brian Eyler is with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and he says this time of year, October and November, deer are a lot more mobile.

"The mating system: you have one male deer that can mate many females, so they travel a lot, a lot more at night, [which] brings 'em into contact with roads a lot more often," Eyler says.

Testosterone-amped males are also more aggressive, and have been known to attack pets and people. The best advice he has, though, is for drivers.

"Don't swerve. If a deer runs out in front of you, you're much better off hitting that deer than hitting a tree or oncoming car," Eyler says.

State Farm Insurance says there are around 27,000 deer-vehicle collisions in Maryland each year, and around 50,000 in Virginia.