HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Acting Insurance Commissioner , Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary, and State Police Commissioner today reminded drivers of the higher risk for deer-related crashes in the fall and that insurance companies cannot add a surcharge to auto insurance premiums for such crashes. Drivers should: Stay alert and pay attention to road signs while driving. Areas with high levels of deer activity will often have yellow, diamond-shaped signs with an image of a deer. Deer rarely travel alone; if one is seen, there are likely more, so slow down and watch for other deer to appear. Swerving away from animals can confuse them so they don’t know which way to run and can also put your car in the path of oncoming vehicles, so resist the urge to swerve. Instead, stay in your lane with both hands firmly on the wheel. If the crash is imminent, drivers should remove their foot from the brake. During hard braking, the front end of a vehicle is pulled downward which can cause the animal to travel up over the hood toward the windshield.
And lastly, always wear a seat belt.