Nu-Blu Goes Deer Hunting The Hard Way

Many a touring musician has come up against the problem of wildlife and livestock on the road.  It’s the perils of life on the road. The more one travels, the more one increases the chances of Deer Vehicle  Collisions or commonly annotated throughout safety agencies as DVC.

Nu-Blu’s bus, named Lola, was “...the only band member who suffered any injury,” said Daniel Routh, guitar player and co-founder of the band, after the group missed one deer but was forced to hit another early this morning.

Daniel who was driving on the interstate returning home from a performance early this morning around two O’Clock, said they were only about 90 minutes from home when he saw a pair of deer crossing the road from the center divider and intended to swerve around them but the buck doubled back at the last minute.

Routh said he’d gotten the rig slowed down to around 50 MPH before the impact and “none of the band members sustained any injuries.  It was a 4 point buck and yes we did go back and look for it,”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there are about 1.5 million car accidents with deer each year that result in $1 billion in vehicle damage, about 150 human fatalities, and over 10,000 personal injuries. The actual numbers are probably higher because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's figures for deer accidents, rely on inconsistent state reporting- there is no standard reporting of deer accidents in the country yet, and a "reportable deer accident" varies significantly between states.

In an insurance claims statistics study conducted in 2004-2005 the top ten states for deer accidents were listed. According to this study, Pennsylvania drivers experience more deer collisions than any other state.

Worst states for deer collisions based on total number of claims filed with one of the countries largest auto insurers:

1) Pennsylvania 2) Michigan 3) Illinois 4) Ohio 5) Georgia

6) Minnesota 7) Virginia 8) Indiana 9) Texas 10) Wisconsin

According to another survey published by ABC News in October of 2010, West Virginia was possibly the worst state for Deer Vehicle Accidents.

West Virginia: 1 in 41.91 Iowa: 1 in 67.09 Michigan: 1 in 70.36 South Dakota: 1 in 75.81 Montana: 1 in 82.45 Pennsylvania: 1 in 84.63 North Dakota: 1 in 91.11 Wisconsin: 1 in 95.68 Arkansas: 1 in 99.24 Minnesota: 1 in 99.51 Virginia:1 in 101.97 Nebraska: 1 in 110.60 Wyoming: 1 in 114.49

Maryland: 1 in 118.75 Ohio: 1 in 121.09 Mississippi: 1 in 131.35 Missouri: 1 in 133.88 South Carolina: 1 in 137.21 New York: 1 in 145.45 North Carolina: 1 in 147.27 Delaware: 1 in 149.86 Georgia: 1 in 149.88 Alabama: 1 in 150.32 Indiana: 1 in 159.61 Kentucky: 1 in 161.12 Vermont: 1 in 170.28

Tips to avoid deer accidents:

1. Be attentive when driving! And Slow Down!
2. Use high-beam headlights when driving in deer territory to increase your vision and will increase your time to react to a deer hiding on the roadside who decides to jump in front of your car.
3. If a collision with a deer is unavoidable, it is usually best not to swerve to avoid it, brake and hold the wheel straight. Turning the wheel to avoid the deer may result in a worse accident with another car, or cause the car to spin out of control resulting a in much more serious crash.
4. Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
5. Remember that deer are most active between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
6. Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds – if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.
   

According to a story published by USA Today in 2011, it’s not just the wildlife and livestock on the roadways that motorists should be aware of, but the slowing or swerving to avoid the animal can cause traffic from behind to impact with your vehicle.

The USA Today report claims that this time of year is the worst for animal/vehicle accidents.  “Late October through early December is mating season for North American deer,” said Rob Found a biologist from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 1 million car accidents with deer each year that kill 200 Americans, cause more than 10,000 personal injuries, and result in $1 billion in vehicle damage.