It's that time of year again: Deer are more likely to jump out in front of you, causing an accident.

Chad Steward, deer research biologist at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said nearly half of all accidents involving white-tailed deer happen from October through December.

"Drivers don't suddenly become less competent during this time, but rather deer become more active because their breeding season is approaching," he wrote in a news release.

In 2008, 306 traffic accidents involved deer in St. Joseph County. That's actually pretty low for this area.

The high numbers come from Michigan, where there are fewer people and apparently more deer.
According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center Web site, 935 accidents involved deer in Berrien County in 2008, 814 in Cass County, 697 in St. Joseph County
(Mich.) and 744 in Van Buren County.

According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, other deer-related accident numbers for 2008 were 435 in Elkhart County, 446 in Marshall County, 147 in LaPorte County and 590 in Kosciusko County.

Some tips from the Indiana DNR on avoiding deer accidents are:

— Deer are more active at night.

— Deer often travel in groups. If you see one, look for more.

— Do not swerve if you think you're gong to hit a deer. You could hit another car, a tree or a ditch instead.

— If you see a deer in the distance, slow down.

— If you see a deer standing in the road, slow down and blow your horn.

— Use high beams when there is no opposing traffic. Look for the deer's illuminated eyes and dark silhouettes.

— Drive with caution when traveling roads that separate farm fields.

— Be careful in areas where you have seen deer before.

— Always wear seat belts.

Staff writer Sue Lowe:
slowe@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7758