Caltrans Warns Deer Accidents On Rise At Highway 50 And Interstate 80
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Caltrans is warning drivers to be on the lookout for wild animals after an alarming number of accidents involving deer and cars on Highway 50 and Interstate 80.
In just six days, they counted 23 accidents, mainly involving deer.
Body shop owner Roy Fumer says car after car are coming into his shop after bad accidents with wildlife.
"This was a rental, this was one of our customers, they were having their car fixed, and then in the rental, they hit a deer as well," he said.
Kirsten Macintyre says the drought has stressed vegetation and animals are looking for food.
"In that particular area, [Highway] 50 and [Interstate] 80, there have been a lot of wildfires, which means there is less vegetation, and the animals need to travel forward to forage," she said.
Experts say if you cannot avoid a deer, the best thing to do is hit the deer head-on. That is safer than trying to rapidly swerve left or right to avoid it, because that could result in a serious rollover.
Caltrans also recommends if you see one animal cross the road to slow down because there are often more to follow.
