Animal-related crashes up in Wayne
By From staff reports
Published in News on October 29, 2014 1:46 PM
Deer are a common sight along Stony Creek Parkway either standing at the wood line or along the edge of the street. But that tranquil scene can quickly turn deadly when the deer bolt into traffic.
In recent weeks the city has erected signs cautioning motorists about the deer and as the weather cools motorists should be alert for an increase in deer activity that can lead to wrecks.
Between 2011 and 2013, nearly half of the more than 61,000 animal-related crashes took place in October through December. Approximately 90 percent of those involved deer.
Over the past three years, animal-related crashes claimed 18 lives, injured more than 3,400 drivers and passengers, and caused more than $149 million in damages.
In the latest rankings released by the N.C. Department of Transportation, Wayne County ranked 28th in the number of animal crashes, 286, in 2013.
There were 882 such crashes in the county between 2011 and 2013.
Duplin County was tied for third in the state with Pitt County with 539 crashes each in 2013 (1,783 between 2011-13 in Duplin and 1,781 in Pitt).
Johnston County was sixth with 492 (1,520 between 2011-13); Sampson, 14 with 398 (1,120 between 2011-13); Lenoir County, 17th with 342 (1,009 between 2011-13); and Wilson County, 44th with 188 (607 between 2011-13).
For the 11th consecutive year, Wake County led all counties in the number of animal-related crashes with 1,135, a slight increase over 2012 figures (1,018).
That is primarily due to the combination of decreasing amounts of wooded area in the county and the increasing number of drivers and road mile usage.
Guilford County had more than 500 fewer animal-related crashes (620) and was the runner-up for the second year in a row.
Deer are on the roadways more during the fall into winter months because of the hunting and mating seasons.
They also travel more at dawn and as it grows dark in the evenings, with the largest number of crashes coming between 5 and 8 a.m., and 6 and 10 p.m.
In addition to more deer moving about and crossing roads at those times, decreased driver visibility makes it more difficult to see animals on or near roadways.
A state Department of Transportation study shows that in 2013, there were 20,308 animal-related crashes, a slight increase over the 2012 figure (20,204), but still well below the numbers reported in 2010 (20,808) and 2011 (20,703).
Counties in the far western section of the state, where there are considerably fewer drivers and road mileage, once again reported the lowest number of crashes.
The DOT offers the following suggestions for motorists to avoid being in a deer-vehicle crash:
* Slow down in posted deer crossing areas and heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
* Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in deer-vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
* Statistics indicate most deer-vehicle crashes occur in areas where deer are more likely to travel through, such as near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams and ditches.
* Drive with high beams on when possible, and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights
* Remember that deer often travel in groups, so do not assume that if a deer crosses the road, there won't be others following.
* Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
* Increase the distance between your vehicle and other cars, especially at night.