Car deer crashes

A broad affiliation of groups including representives from law enforcement, traffic safety, insurance and natural resources is reminding motorists that October and November are the two most dangerous months for car-deer crashes in Michigan. The Michigan Deer Crash Coalition says motorists should be aware that these crashes can cause more than just damage to the vehicle. Car-deer crashes resulted in 1,329 injuries and eight deaths in the state last year. Officials say there is an average of 134 deer/vehicle crashes in the Great Lakes State each day. But most crashes can be avoided if you drive cautiously, and if you do find a deer in the path of your car, do not veer to avoid it. Coalition spokeswoman, Lori Conarton, says most injuries and deaths occur when people swerve to avoid a deer and end up hitting a tree or hitting another car. Although reported deer/vehicle crashes in Michigan declined in 2012 to 48,918 from the 53,592 crashes reported in 2011, many crashes also go unreported, so actual crash numbers are much higher. Oakland County had the most deer/vehicle crashes in 2012 with 1,683 crashes. The remaining top nine counties were Kent (1,572), Jackson (1,281), Montcalm (1,182), Lapeer (1,175), Ingham (1,065), Clinton (1,032), Ottawa (1,013), Huron (1,082) and Eaton (1,000).  (MRN)