Drivers should have to report collisions with deer by law – that’s the view of the British Deer Society, which estimates that as many as 74,000 of the animals are killed or injured on UK roads every year.
Charles Smith-Jones, Technical Advisor for the BDS, told Auto Express: “Deer are nobody’s property under law – unlike domestic animals, which if you hit, you have to alert the authorities.”
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He continued: “From an animal welfare perspective, forcing drivers to inform the authorities if they hit a deer can only be a good thing.”
The British Deer Society reckons the number of deer killed on British roads is likely to exceed 40,000 annually, and “may well be nearer to 74,000”. Smith-Jones says such figures could increase due to the UK’s growing deer population, but “[given] there is no legal requirement to report a collision with a deer, we have no way of determining a more precise number”.
Smith-Jones added: “The best defence against a deer-vehicle collision is driver caution.” The BDS suggests that drivers take particular care when driving in peak season; deer are typically more active in the Autumn months (October to December) as they prepare for winter, mostly roaming around from dusk until dawn. The lower light levels during this time make it much easier to mistakenly hit a deer, with the BDS advising drivers to be on the lookout.