List of IL counties with most deer-motor vehicle collisions includes one in metro-east

It’s deer mating season in Illinois, and that means more than a bunch of fawns six months from now.

It’s the peak time for motor vehicle collisions , according to state officials, whose press release on the topic is appropriately titled, `Deer prudence: Avoid the urge to swerve during their mating season’

In 2022, 14,524 Illinois collisions involved deer. Four of the crashes resulted in fatalities, while 629 resulted in injuries, the release states. Property or vehicles were damaged in most of those collisions, the release states.

The state’s list of 10 counties with the most deer-related collisions, at least in 2022, includes Madison County, with 396. Here’s the entire Top 10 list:

1. Cook 542

2. Madison 396

3. McHenry 351

4. Lake 350

5. Will 344

6. Peoria 323

7. Fulton 313

8. Kane 286

9. Sangamon 282

10. Macoupin 271

“While your natural instinct is to steer quickly out of the way when you see a deer, remember to not veer suddenly because you could lose control of your vehicle and swerve into another lane or off the road,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman stated in the release. “Always prepare for the unexpected. A deer might stop in the middle of the road or double back. They also frequently travel in groups so when you see one there likely are others nearby.”

Forty percent of all deer-car collisions happened in October, November and December, and mostly at twilight or night. The release calls November the ``highest-risk” month.

“Drive cautiously this time of year, especially at dawn and dusk, when deer are particularly active for the fall mating season,” Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie stated in the release.

Here are safe driving tips to help avoid crashes, quoted directly from the press rlease.:

• Be aware of your surroundings, especially in areas with deer crossing signs.

• Scan the sides of the road for eye shine – the reflection of headlights in their eyes.

• Slow down if you see a deer and anticipate others could be following.

• Prepare for the unexpected. Deer may stop in the middle of the road and not move for oncoming vehicles.

• If a collision is inevitable, don’t veer. Try to glance your vehicle off the deer and avoid swerving into the opposite lanes of traffic or off the road.

“If you hit a deer, pull off to the shoulder, turn on your hazard lights and call 911,” the release states. “ Do not exit the vehicle to check on an injured deer or pull it from the road. For information on how to claim a deer involved in a crash, or to report possession of a deer killed in a crash, click here , type bit.ly/Illinoisroadkill into your computer’s url address bar or visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.”