Drivers 'need to watch out for deer'

Date: 27/9/2010

Drivers need to be alert to deer on the roads as autumn approaches, officials have advised.

The Highways Agency and The Deer Initiative have issued a statement informing drivers of the dangers posed by the animals, particularly at dawn and dusk.

According to the authorities, autumn and spring are the periods of highest risk for deer collisions, of which there are an estimated 74,000 each year in the UK.

They recommended road users reduce their speed and stay alert when they see warning signs and dip their headlights if they spot one of the creatures, as otherwise they may freeze.

Dr Jochen Langbein, Leader of the UK Deer Vehicle Collisions Project at the Deer Initiative, said: "As days get shorter in the autumn, busy traffic times coincide with dawn and the early part of the night when deer are most active and hardest to spot."

Katy Jenkins, Communications Manager for the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, recently told the Kidderminster Shuttle motorcyclists need to be prepared for the additional safety hazards brought by the onset of autumn, such as frost and fog.

Posted by Mary Treen