Photo: Carol Hamilton / iStock / Getty Images
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists of the increase in deer-involved crashes during this time of year.
Since 2019, there have been 109,507 deer-involved crashes on Ohio roadways. While 95% of deer-involved crashes only resulted in property damage, 44 crashes were fatal and resulted in 45 deaths. Additionally, from 2019-2023, 47% of these crashes occurred in October, November and December, with 22% occurring in November alone.
"Practicing safe driving habits and staying fully focused on the road increases yo ur chances of spotting deer before it's too late," said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. "If you do strike a deer, prioritize your safety by moving to a secur e location if possible, turning on your hazard lights and reporting the incident."
The most crashes involving deer have happened in Stark (3,138), Richland (2,880), Hancock (2,725) and Defiance (2,560) counties. Combined, these four counties accounted for 10% of all deer-involved crashes. Additionally, more than 100 deer-involved crashes have happened in all but one Ohio county since 2019.
Simple tips to avoid an animal collision are: scan the road ahead, use high-beam headlights when able, be extra cautious at dawn and dusk and if a collision is unavoidable, brake – don’t swerve to stay in your lane.
Motorists are reminded they can safely dial #677 from their mobile device to be connected to the nearest Ohio State Highway Patrol Post during a roadway emergency.
A statistical map containing deer-involved crash information can be found here and additional information on crash statistics can be found on the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety (OSTATS) Dashboard.