For those in our region, hitting a deer with your car is very common throughout the year. You may not know what to do if you ever happen to find yourself in that situation. This type of accident can be quite scary and you might feel a bit frazzled, so let’s go through the steps to keep you prepared.
First, make sure no one is hurt in the vehicle. Then safely pull the car off to the side of the road, so you are out of the flow of traffic. Do not go near the deer. If it is hurt, it is a large powerful animal that can kick and hurt you. Next, call the police to let them know you’ve hit a deer and if anyone in the vehicle is in need of medical attention so they can alert an ambulance to arrive at your location. They can provide you with an accident report that you can share with your insurance company if needed. Take photos of the damage to your car and the surrounding area. Then you can call your insurance company to report the accident to start the process of filing a claim so you can get your car repaired.
To help prevent hitting a deer, consider these things. Deer are active from dusk till dawn. So when driving throughout the night, slow down and drive extra cautiously, especially in wooded areas or areas where you know deer are prevalent. Turn on your high beams to help you see any deer lingering on the side of the road about to spring in front of your car. Pay extra attention and keep your eyes on the road and scan the sides as well to see any deer lurking about. If you’re driving on the highway, choose the middle lanes. This way you have extra reaction time to see any deer sprinting across the road and slow down or swerve to avoid them.
Sometimes these situations are unavoidable, and hopefully, you don’t find yourself in this situation. But if you do happen to find yourself in an accident, give us a call at Heritage Auto Body and we can provide you with a quality experience that makes your car look new again.
Recent Comments