Is it better to swerve or hit the deer?

Do not try to swerve around an animal! You could lose control of your vehicle and hit a tree or another vehicle—both potentially much worse than hitting a deer. If you swerve, there’s also a chance that the animal will panic and run into your path.

What should you always avoid while swerving?

In an emergency maneuver, you generally shouldn’t swerve and brake at the same time. Braking and swerving each by themselves, demand traction from your tires. Doing both at the same time may exceed the traction limit of your tires and cause skidding.

Should you hit the deer?

If you see a deer in the road, don’t swerve to avoid it. You’ll likely end up hitting a guardrail or tree instead and cause more injuries. Hard as it may be, it’s best to strike the deer. If your vehicle is disabled, move it to the side of the road if you can.

Why should you speed up when hitting a deer?

Some people believe that speeding up is the best route to go if you are about to hit a deer, and this idea believes that accelerating will lift the front of your vehicle which in turn reduces the chance that a deer will hit the windshield.

Should you slow down before hitting a deer?

A: No, it has not changed. Most folks recommend not hitting the brake if a collision is likely. They also recommend not swerving and — when driving in areas of dense deer population — having your brights on and slowing down. The front end will pop up on impact and a deer will be thrown up and over the car.

Should you slam on brakes to avoid a deer?

Stay buckled, avoid swerving, heed deer crossing signs, and if you do see a deer, slow down without slamming the brakes and sound the horn. Deer are most active at dusk and dawn, which is the time to be especially vigilant. The mating season from October to December compounds the likelihood of a collision.

How common is it to hit a deer?

The insurance company State Farm found that on average, US drivers have a 1 in 116 chance of hitting an animal, with much higher rates in states such as West Virginia, Montana and Pennsylvania.

Should I honk at deer?

Honk! Some experts recommend that one long blast of the horn will scare deer out of the road. Do not rely on hood whistles or other devices designed to scare off deer—studies have shown them to be largely ineffective at minimizing accidents.