Published: November 23, 2009 10:53 pm      

Deer vs. car collisions on rise locally

ASHLAND — State highway officials say the number of deer being removed from local highways after collisions with cars and trucks may be at a record high.

“Deer activity has increased,” said Allen Blair, spokesman for the District 9 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “Recently, the Carter County crew removed 18 deer in one day, and there were more the next day.”

Blair said local motorists should avoid distractions, including cell phone use, and pay close attention to their surroundings if they hope to avoid a deer-related incident.

“If you live locally you know where you see them,” said Blair. “We try to document areas with deer crossing signs, so when you see a sign, please realize it is based on reports and evidence.”

Blair said deer strikes often can’t be avoided, although drivers can decrease their chances of a problem by obeying speed limits and being vigilant in the morning, especially if there is low-lying fog, and evening hours.

Barbara McGuire, office manager for McGuire’s Towing and Recovery, said certain areas seem to be hot-spots for deer crossings, although she hasn’t especially noticed a higher rate of vehicle collisions so far this year.

“Well, I-64 is always good there from Coalton to Catlettsburg,” McGuire said, recalling a recent call to recover a vehicle and trailer destroyed along that section of highway when the driver successfully avoided a deer but still ended up being in a wreck. The section of U.S. 23 near the Marathon refinery is another area where deer commonly cross the road, McGuire said, along with major sections of Rt. 3 in rural Boyd County.

Considering the evidence left from deer/vehicle collisions from their business, McGuire said she would advise drivers to make no effort to avoid such collisions.

“Just hit them,” she said. “It can be a lot worse if you try to avoid them.”

Also, she observed “Large pickup trucks do better. Little cars usually don’t stand a chance.”

An average of 10 deer a day were removed from state roads, mostly U.S. 23, in Johnson County during the past several weeks, according to a statement from Highway District 12.

Keith Hill of the District 12 office in Paintsville said one of their trucks was loaded with nine deer collected from local roads in a single day recently.

“Deer can do tremendous damage to a vehicle and people need to be cautious,” Hill said, who also advises drivers to be particularly cautious at daylight and twilight. “Headlights blind them for a few seconds and then they often jump right at your truck. It’s not that you hit the deer, usually the deer hits you, so it’s hard to get out of their way. We just want people to realize there are more out there than usual right now.”

In Lawrence County, highway workers report removing several deer from U.S. 23 as well as Ky. 32 each day. Floyd County maintenance crews say their deer problems tend to be along Ky. 80, Ky. 122 and Ky. 7. Knott County transportation workers say deer there seem drawn to Ky. 80 and Ky. 15.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.