Caution Advised For Drivers During Deer Mating Season
HO-HO-KUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Mating season is under way for deer, and the animals are on the move causing hazards on some Tri-State Area roads.
As WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported, Carol Tyler of Tyco Animal Control already has responded to accidents on Bergen County, N.J. roads.
Caution Advised For Drivers During Deer Mating Season
"Drive careful, because it's breeding season, and through the months of September, October and even into November, deer just aren't smart as they should be and tend to chase each other across roadways," Tyler said. "And if anything, just people should just be more cautious this time of the year for large animals running in front of their cars."
Drivers on the Palisades Parkway told WCBS 880's Adams they've seen more deer on the roads this season.
"I've seen them everywhere from the George Washington Bridge all the way north," one driver said. "You've got to be careful this year. I haven't hit one, but I've seen them cross the street, I just missed one this year, I've never seen so many."
"From my house to exit 14, I probably see about 20 to 30 each morning," another driver said. "It seems to have gotten worse."
Times to be particularly careful are typically the hours between dusk and dawn. Tyler advised if you cannot stop, do not swerve because you might strike another car, a pedestrian or a tree.
At least 30,866 deer were hit by vehicles in New Jersey in 2010, according to a Star-Ledger report. A total of 2,053 drivers struck deer last year on the New York State Thruway alone, prompting state police to issue an "Antler Alert," the newspaper reported.
To avoid striking deer, drivers are advised to slow down and be on the lookout for sudden movements, watch for "deer crossing signs," and use high beams after dark if no vehicles are coming from the opposite direction, the paper reported.
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