ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- The population of white-tailed deer in the United States is approximately 31.7 million deer, with an estimated 900,000 deer residing in Tennessee.
In a 2023 survey, there were 7,434 motor vehicle crashes involving deer in Tennessee.
There are an estimated 2.1 million deer-vehicle collisions, or DVCs, per year in the U.S., according to a study from Washington State University.
DVCs cause an estimated $10 billion in economic losses annually and an estimated 59,000 injuries throughout the country.
Vehicle collisions with deer are a significant risk to safe driving, with rural areas being at a higher risk of incurring deer-vehicle encounters. With the fragmented nature of the greater Arnold Air Force Base natural environment, motorists should always assume they are driving through deer habitat. Based on the evidence presented in the DVC Spatial Risk Analysis figure, certain higher-risk areas have been identified.
While location plays a role in deer encounter potential, there are also seasonal effects in deer encounter risk. Data collected at Arnold AFB from 1987-2024 shows that deer activity significantly increases from October to January. The increased activity during these months correlates to an increase in DVCs.
The following tips for increased safety in the event of a deer vehicle encounter have been compiled from multiple sources across the internet:
Tips to avoid a deer-vehicle collision:
- Be aware and scan the road. Focus on what is ahead of you and what is along the sides of the roadway. The more time you have to react appropriately significantly reduces the chance of an accident.
- Be alert at times of increased deer activity. Deer are most active at dawn, dusk and during the months of October through January. However, deer may be active at all times of day.
- Maintain proper visibility and decrease speed during limited visibility conditions.
- Appropriately utilize high beams. Deer eyes naturally reflect light, and spotting them ahead of time can give the driver more chance to react.
- Reduce distractions while driving.
If a collision is unavoidable:
- Resist the urge to swerve. Swerving may confuse the deer, making its trajectory less predictable, and it could result in a head-on collision with oncoming traffic or a crash into roadside objects.
- Always wear your seatbelt. An estimated 60% of fatalities caused by deer-vehicle collisions are caused by failure to wear a seatbelt.
- Minimize the impact by braking firmly. Hold onto the steering wheel, remain in your lane and bring your vehicle to a controlled stop.
What to do after hitting a deer:
- Pull off the roadway and turn on your emergency flashers. Maintain caution if you leave the vehicle.
- Check yourself and passengers for injuries, then assess damage to your vehicle.
- Don’t try to remove the deer from the roadway.
- If you or your passengers are injured, contact emergency services at 911.
If there are no injuries, contact the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Base Defense Operations Center at 454-5662.