Your Chances Of Hitting A Deer Skyrocket Now After DST

If you're local to the Hudson Valley, chances are you're very aware of how many deer we encounter regularly on our roads. Have you noticed that during this particular time of year that deer activity increases and wondered why? Here's the answer to that why.

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Daylight Savings Time and Deer Activity

I don't know about you, but it's pretty rare that I have come across many people, or anyone really, who loves daylight savings time. Most people will complain about waking up earlier than they want to, driving home from work in pitch black, and their animals taking weeks to adjust to a 'new' feeding schedule due to the time change.

With that in mind, and especially that last part about animals, deer also seem to struggle with daylight savings time.

According to Environment America, those two weeks following the clock change in the fall, when we 'fall back,' we actually create one more hour of 'higher-danger driving' when it comes to deer.

A recent article published by Yahoo News provided similar findings, sharing the following statistics:

The clock shift results in more commuters on the road during the high-risk dusk hours. The consequence is more cars driving at the peak time of day and during the peak time of the year for deer-vehicle accidents. The clock shift results in a 37% reduction in deer-vehicle accidents during morning commuter hours, since fewer commuters are on the road before sunrise, but a 72% increase in accidents during evening commuter hours. Overall, there is a 19% increase in accidents during commuter hours the week after the fall time change in New York.

Overall, more than 2 million deer collisions happen in the United States on an annual basis.

READ MORE: DECs Warning to NY Drivers Regarding Deer and Moose

How To Stay Safe Now That There May Be More Deer On Hudson Valley Roads During Prime Driving Times

Obviously, the first step is slowing down when driving during 'darker' hours, like at dawn and dusk, staying mindful of movement or animal activity on the side of the road, and using the high beam lights on your car when safe to do so.

Especially when on the roads during dusk, or driving home from work following the fall DST clock change, it is important to exercise a bit of extra caution and be on the lookout for deer. Also important to note, is that there might be more deer active on the roadways during 'bright moonlit nights' and also during 'the fall rut' which is breeding season for deer, running October through early December.