YORK, Pa. — Drivers in central Pa. are being asked to take it slow this fall, as deer mating season increases the risk of crashes.
New data released by State Farm shows that drivers have a one in 59 chance of having a deer-related accident in Pennsylvania.
“They have a mind of their own and they will come up on you when you least expect it," said Neil Shaffer, the owner of Shaffer Auto Body in Red Lion, York County.
Shaffer said the fall months are when he gets more calls to fix cars hit by deer. He estimates his body shop sees around 8 to 10 cars a month with deer-related damage.
“You can have deer accidents any time of year, but this time of year, there’s historically an increase," said Shaffer.
According to PennDOT—5,848 drivers had deer-related crashes in 2022, resulting in more than 1,264 injuries and nine deaths.
Fritzi Schreffler, a spokesperson for PennDOT, said drivers should avoid slamming on the brakes and swerving if they’re about to hit a deer.
“When you slam on the brakes and don’t have enough time to slow down; the front end of your car dips down and can scoop up the deer," said Schreffler. "And that can come into your windshield or over the top of your car, causing an incident for the car behind you.”
Schreffler added that drivers are more likely to hit deer right after sunset and that accidents can happen on any road in Pennsylvania.
“I’ve seen them running through towns, I’ve seen them coming just outside of neighborhoods, it’s something you need to be aware of," said Schreffler.
Neil Shaffer advises that people should always drive the speed limit on all roads.
“Speed definitely plays a factor, so you need to be as alert as you can. You can’t always avoid it," said Shaffer.