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Drivers May Have to Dodge Deer

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Northern Illinois sheriff's offices are advising people to be careful of deer crossing the road. It's the time of year when mating deer are most active. Last year in DeKalb County, the sheriff’s office dealt with 100 car accidents relating to deer, accounting for 14 percent of all accidents.Deer are most active during their mating season of October through December. The animals are most active at dawn and dusk, and that’s when they are most likely to wander onto local roads.

“They can come out of nowhere and create significant damage to your vehicle.” -DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott

The resulting car accidents, whether head-on collisions or falling into the ditch to avoid a collision, can result in injuries to the driver and passengers. Scott said to his knowledge there have been no human deaths as a result of a car hitting a deer in DeKalb County, but it can and does happen elsewhere.

Top 10 counties for collisions involving deer in 2010:

1. Cook – 562
2. Madison – 475
3. Peoria – 458
4. Sangamon – 411
5. Will – 396
6. LaSalle – 364
7. Fulton – 357
8. Pike – 355
9. Kane – 325
10. Lake – 320 

Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources