Collisions with deer can cause significant damage to vehicles
In Butler County and western Pennsylvania as a whole, unexpected collisions between vehicles and deer are almost a certainty.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Jay Pierrel, owner of Joe Pierrel Auto in Butler, the safety of the vehicle’s occupants is the highest priority during and after a run in with a deer, and there are many things people should look out for to ensure that safety.
“Severe crashes could leave vehicles undrivable,” said Travis Lau, communications director with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. “In such cases, motorists should use their vehicle’s four-ways and try to pull off the road and to a safe spot.”
Pierrel said the most common damage to a vehicle after striking a deer will be to the car’s hood, headlights, grill and front bumper.
Determining whether a vehicle is still drivable following a collision with deer can depend on a few symptoms the car might show.
“If it is steaming out the front it should be towed to the shop of their choice,” Pierrel said. “Not the choice of the insurance company, of the owner. Some of the insurance companies steer people to certain shops. The thing is the owner still has the right to take their vehicle to whoever they want.”
Leaking fluids are also a sign the vehicle needs towed. If the car is driven without antifreeze, that can cause damage that can prove costly.
“I had a customer hit a deer, and they said they were not far from home,” Pierrel said. “Well they were 10 minutes from home, and they had no antifreeze in the car and it ruined the motor. You should get it checked to make sure that it doesn't have a broken radiator because that would do terminal damage to the motor.”
Safety also is a concern for people after they get out of the vehicle, Lau said. For example, the deer might be laying in the middle of a busy road, and people might think it’s wise to move the deer for the safety of others, but that could put yourself in more danger.
“We often point people to PennDOT’s 1-800-FIX-ROAD hotline (1-800-349-7623), but if a crash just happened, calling 911 might be best,” Lau said. “Drivers and passersby should take their own safety into consideration. On a busy road, where trying to remove a deer from lanes of traffic represents considerable danger, I would not recommend doing so without responders on scene to control traffic.”
Damage to a vehicle can vary depending on many circumstances, Pierrel said. The cost to repair those damages also can vary, especially if the vehicle is newer.
“Depending on the year and model of the car can make a huge difference,” Pierrel said. “Then it depends if they were going 35 mph or 75 mph.
“Headlights right now, a lot of them are at least $1,200 a light and up. Windshields are not too expansive. Side mirrors are usually $400 and up. If it's a pickup, you are looking at $1,400 and up. They all have cameras in them now and heaters. They are just very expensive.”
Lastly, Pierrel said when it comes to the physical act of actually hitting a deer with a vehicle, it is best not to swerve to miss it.
Instead, he recommends to just accept it and hit it, because it could bring in safety factors and it could cause unnecessary damage from striking other things that insurance companies will not pay for.
“Just follow it through,” Pierrel said. “When you turn the wheel you could go into oncoming traffic or go over and embankment. You want to break as much as possible. Most of the time you don't even have time to break. Boom, they can be right there.”
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