Changing the story on deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) in the UK

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By Andrea Barden, Marketing & Fundraising Executive

Driving in October? Watch out for deer!

Whilst October 10th marks World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day, the entire month of October marks the second worst time of year for road accidents involving deer in England (Langbein, J. 2011) and some regions of Scotland (Langbein, J. 2019). Of particular concern for drivers is that existing data suggests that a substantial proportion of deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) during this period tend to be on motorways and with the larger deer species found in the UK – particularly Fallow deer.

seasonal pattern of fallow DVC reports graph — Watch out for Fallow deer in autumn, especially on motorways (Langbein, J. 2011)

Fallow deer bucks can stand to almost 1 metre tall at their shoulder and weigh anywhere from 43kg – 93kg. Does are slightly smaller and can weigh between 35kg – 56Kg. Hitting either with a car or other vehicle at any speed is going to be extremely traumatic for all parties involved and potentially lethal for both. Fortunately for vehicle drivers it’s far more likely for the deer involved to be killed but that isn’t the same for motorcyclists who could suffer life changing injuries or death.

It is thought the peak in DVCs with larger deer species in October is, in part, attributed to these species being in rut during this period and consequently being more mobile than at other times of year. The shortening days and clocks turning back at the end of British Summer time (29th October) may also contribute to increasing deer road accidents through causing peak traffic times (rush hour) to coincide with the times of day when deer are most active (dawn and dusk).

2 stags with antlers locked in a fight — October marks the height of the rut for Fallow, Red and Sika deer in the UK, and is also a time when these larger species tend to have the most collisions with vehicles on our roads (Taken by Sander Meertins Photography)

The other major peak in DVCs each year usually occurs in May. Roe deer tend to be the species predominantly involved during this period and it is suspected this is partially due to young deer born the previous year dispersing from their natal ranges at this time (Langbein et al. 2011). Another reason may be that female deer with young at heel may also be more prone to being hit.

Although it’s important to drive deer aware at all times of year and day, knowing the key times you need to be especially careful is extremely beneficial in helping reduce your chance of a collision.

Are there any specific locations where you should increase your vigilance as well?

The existing data suggests there certainly are.

DVC collision hotspots

Coalition of data deer from a wide range of sources on road accidents involving deer has helped identify collision hotspots across the UK.

Whilst further research is required to improve our understanding of the underlining causes of why such hotspots occur, likely reasons range from biases in level/clarity of recording between roads through to the size of the local deer population and intensity of roads and traffic in the area.

It’s worth keeping in mind that much of the existing research on DVCs, especially in England is now several years out of date. Since that time deer populations are suspected to have increased and road use and the number of roads has also increased. All these factors combine make it likely that DVCs are potentially worse now than they ever have been before, and more hotspots will likely to have developed across the country – especially in the south of England.

deer vehicle collision hotspot map — Where to be extra vigilant for deer on roads in the East Sussex area (Deercollisions.co.uk)

Preventing DVCs on our roads

The British Deer Society (BDS) is a small charity whose mission is to educate and inspire everyone about deer in their environment and to advocate for deer welfare.

We are currently working hard to:

get 100’000s across the country to drive more deer aware.
introduce more mitigation measures in collision hotspot areas and during periods where collisions are known to peak.
investigate and trial new mitigation measures.
increase the number of trained and correctly equipped volunteers (known as HAD volunteers) who can help the police and public with deer that are fatally injured and suffering at the roadside after a collision.
improve and expand existing reporting schemes and research on DVC’s so that areas and roads with the highest collision rates can be prioritised each year.

There is plenty of work to be done if we really want to change the story on the number of deer vehicle collisions in the UK.

How can you help?

There are many ways you can get involved in helping prevent deer road accidents in the UK:

Support our work:

Donate to our Change the Story on DVCs campaign and share it widely! The more funds we can raise, the more work we can do to make a difference for drivers and for deer.

Raise awareness:

Do your loved ones know if they see one deer they immediately need to watch out for more?! This is especially true with Fallow, who can move in extremely large herds. Do they know the deer collisions hotspots where they live?

Read and share our ‘Drive Deer Aware’ resources with your friends and family. More people driving deer aware = more lives saved, for drivers and for deer.

a completely smashed up car on it's roof — One rule of driving deer aware is to never swerve for deer. This is what can end up happening. Fortunately, in this incident the driver didn’t lose their life (Tayside Police Division)

Record:
You can download the BDS Deer App to help record deer killed on the road and encourage friends/family to do the same as well. Even if you’re not sure which deer you saw or the exact location the information is still extremely helpful in helping us improve our understanding and consequently prevention of DVCs.

Research:
If you are a student/researcher and interested in conducting a research project on DVC’s, specifically to support our work mentioned above, you could apply for research funding here.

Volunteer:
If you have a Firearms Certificate and experience in deer management or similar area you could consider becoming a HAD volunteer. Learn more here.

References

Langbein, J. 2011. Monitoring reported deer road casualties and related accidents in England to 2010. Report to The Highways Agency. Deer Initiative Research Report 2011/3.

Langbein, J., Putman. R.J., and B. Pokorny (2011). Road Traffic Collisions involving deer and other ungulates in Europe and available measures for mitigation. In: Ungulate Management in Europe: Problems and Practices (eds. R.J. Putman, M. Apollonio and R. Andersen). Chapter 8, pp. 215 – 259. Cambridge University Press

Langbein, J. 2019. Deer-Vehicle Collision (DVC) data collection and analysis 2016 - 2018. Scottish Natural Heritage Research Report No. 1158