"It was terrifying": The dangers of deer on UK roads

Until more accurate data is available, motorists can only look abroad to gain a more precise picture. In Germany, for example, where collisions involving animals must be reported, there are 1000 non-fatal and 20 fatal driver and passenger casualties each year, arising from 220,000 deer-related incidents.

Whatever the true facts, it’s fair to say that deer collisions are a problem in the UK, as I discovered when I posted an account of my own near-deer experience on a popular motorists’ forum. It quickly attracted a stream of tales along similar lines, some of them quoted below but others withheld on grounds of taste, because a collision with a deer can be a messy affair…

Estimates of the size of the UK’s deer population vary between 1.5 and two million. It’s the highest for 1000 years and the figure is expected to rise further. According to surveys carried out by the British Deer Society, there are six recorded species of deer in the UK, each concentrated in different areas. In England, for example, muntjac and fallow deer dominate the Midlands, south and east, whereas red deer are mostly found in the centre and north of Scotland but also in Cornwall and Norfolk. Roe deer are spread evenly across the whole of the UK.

Useful pub quiz facts, perhaps, but knowing where particular deer dominate could save your life or, at least, your no-claims bonus. The point is that, depending on the species, deer can be very big animals. Red deer are the biggest. Indeed, they’re Britain’s largest land mammal. A fully grown male measures up to 1.37m at the shoulder and weighs up to 190kg. Fallow deer are smaller, males being up to 0.94m and 93kg. Muntjac are among the smallest, at 0.52m and 18kg, but a 30mph collision with one still has the potential to cause significant damage or injury.

The south-east of England experiences the UK’s highest number of deer-related road accidents and many councils have taken steps to keep motorists and deer apart. One such is Hertfordshire County Council.

“We have erected deer fences in locations that are known migration crossing points, especially on major new roads,” says Phil Bibby, the council’s cabinet member for highways and environment. “However, we cannot protect every road, so we urge motorists to be cautious, especially on rural and semi-rural roads.”

Meanwhile, in partnership with Highways England, some councils have been encouraging land owners, who have a right to control deer on their land, to increase culling rates. Other measures include erecting deer warning signs, especially at known crossing points, and in a few locations dynamic warning signs activated by the presence of deer.

Despite these and other measures, however, drivers are often blasé about the proximity of deer and who can blame them when deer are rarely seen in some locations, despite their numbers? Leonardo Gubert, senior ecologist at Highways England, warns against complacency.

“You may be well travelled and on a well-known route with signs warning of deer but never spotted the animals before, but the fact is these signs have been installed in areas with high deer numbers,” he says.

“There may only be one deer hidden in nearby foliage or woodlands or they may be a species that gathers in large groups with the possibility that when you see one and avoid it, others follow and dart into the road. It is vital drivers are aware of the presence and take extra care.”

If you find yourself behind Aaron Herringshaw on some quiet Dorset road, you can be sure that’s exactly what he’s doing.

See a deer? Here's what to do

Deer Aware offers drivers this advice for staying safe:

 Heed deer warning signs and drive with caution.

 Take extra care in the peak danger months of May and October to January.

 If you see one deer, expect more.

 At night, and so long as there is no oncoming traffic, use main beam, which will help pick out the eyes of deer. If you encounter one, dip your lights to avoid startling and ‘freezing’ it.

 Don’t over-swerve to avoid a deer, and if a collision is inevitable, hit it while maintaining full control of your car.

If you hit a deer...

 First, make sure you are safe.

 Do not approach the animal or attempt to calm it.

 Call the police.

Near-deer experiences

Here are some of the stories posted on a popular motorists’ forum by drivers who have had recent close encounters of the deer kind.