New Study Aims to Help Georgia Motorists Avoid Deer Collisions
University of Georgia researchers have a new study out that could tell motorists the most likely times for collisions with deer in different parts of the state.
The research assessed available deer breeding information with reported accidents to calculate peak times that deer are on the move.
During rutting season, white-tailed deer search for mates and travel much more frequently, The Telegraph reported.
“Depending on your location in Georgia, peak rut may occur anywhere from October to December,” James Stickles, the lead researcher on the project, said in a news release.
In Laurens County, Shane Dukes of Shane’s Body Shop in Dublin says he is already seeing an increase in customers whose vehicles have been in collisions with deer.
“I had three cars totaled out last week,” Dukes said. “My business definitely increases. Sometimes I can hardly keep up with it.”
The peak time for Laurens County is expected to be Nov. 3-9.
A total of a total of 45,811 deer-vehicle collisions were reported across Georgia between 2005 and 2012, the Telegraph reported.
Georgia’s Department of Transportation is considering using the information for more focused motorist warnings for each region, according to a DNR news release.
“Now we can warn drivers in a more relevant timeframe than in the past,” said Stickles, who now serves as assistant deer coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.