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Crashes involving deer and motor vehicles have jumped 14 percent in the Greater Akron area since 2017, according to findings by AMATS.  Deer-related crashes have steadily increased from 654 in 2017 to 745 in 2019, according to a review by the planning agency of Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Public Safety crash records spanning 2017 through 2019.

AMATS Engineer Dave Pulay warns drivers to watch for deer, especially as the area enters the autumnal months of October and November.  There were 347 deer-related crashes for the month of October and 467 crashes in November during the three-year period.  Those months are the worst of the year for deer crashes, which is most likely due to the start of deer mating season and shorter hours of daylight, according to Pulay.

“Drivers should be particularly alert during the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.  Deer crashes spike at those times,” Pulay continues, “Our area recorded 195 morning crashes and 162 evening crashes during those hours.”

Pulay notes that, out of the nearly 2,000 deer-related crashes recorded in the area, none of those crashes resulted in a human fatality.  However, the number of crashes that resulted in a serious injury rose significantly during the period from none in 2017 to six in 2019.  “That may not seem like a high number, but we are concerned as to whether it will continue to climb,” he adds.

AMATS finds that deer crashes generally begin dropping in December and continue to decline through March.  Until the expected wintertime drop-off occurs, Pulay urges Greater Akron area drivers to be cautious when it comes to the region’s roaming deer population.  “AMATS doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt,” he adds.

Photos courtesy of Summit Metro Parks / volunteer JJ Prekop Jr.

Photos courtesy of Summit Metro Parks / volunteer JJ Prekop Jr.