Safety officials remind drivers to be cautious of deer on roadways
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Area drivers may come across deer while traveling during peak months for activity, like October and November.
Deer are most active during dawn and dusk, especially in the fall. Sgt. Shane Hux with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said deer movement can be unpredictable.
"They just go wherever they want to go," Hux said. "That's what's so unpredictable, I mean, you may see them standing on a certain side of the road thinking they're going to go one direction, when actually, they turn and come toward the vehicle."
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri consistently ranks 10th to 15th in the country in deer-vehicle collisions each year.
In 2024, there were 2,952 crashes with deer, with four deaths and 420 injuries reported. In Buchanan County, there were 39 crashes involving deer.
Matthew Stein, MoDot area engineer for the Northwest District, discussed what to do if drivers come across a deer in the roadway.
"We don't want to swerve to avoid a deer because if you swerve, you could end up (going) into oncoming traffic or you could swerve off the road, and you could potentially overturn your vehicle," Stein said.
Stein also reminded drivers to not follow too closely to a vehicle ahead of you on the road in case they need to make a sudden stop to avoid a deer, and shared that if a driver sees one deer, it is likely that other deer are close.
Hux said if a driver hits a deer, they can call the Missouri State Highway Patrol or Missouri Department of Transportation to help remove the deer carcass off the road.
"So, it's important that we remove those from the roadway and then we can contact MoDOT," Hux said. "Or if we have a trooper in the area, we can dispatch a trooper over to that area and at least remove it from the roadway."
Stein provided some additional safety tips for drivers to follow to stay safe on roadways.
"Always remember the 'buckle up, phone down.' You want to watch your speed, you don't want to drive too distracted and always try to stay alert," Stein said.
