It’s a message we’ve heard before, but OPP are reminding motorists not to swerve to avoid a deer.

The warning comes as police say the next month is the most common time for deer collisions in the province as it is deer breeding season.

That means extra attention on the roads is needed.

“They are very powerful jumpers. They can appear on the roadway with little or no notice at all,” says Const. Kevin Martin of the South Bruce OPP.

There are about 60,000 deer and car collisions each year in Canada, with about 15,000 in Ontario.

Last year, Middlesex County OPP responded to 521 animal-related collisions, the highest number within an OPP jurisdiction. Of those, over 46 per cent occurred between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.

The collisions across the couuntry cost taxpayers, drivers and insurance companies about $400 million last year.

Insurance money often ends up in body shops, such as Shane Letteau’s.

He does both minor and major repairs.

“You get everything from replacing a headlight, something minor, to replacing an AC system - even total write offs,” says Letteau, of Bayne Letteau Auto Body.

About 50 people die in Canada each year from these collisions and police say some of those accidents happen because drivers are trying not to hit the deer.

“If a deer jumps out in front of you, brake firmly, but stay in your lane,” Martins says. “We've had a lot of serious crashes where people strayed from their lane to avoid a collision with the deer and now we're into a head on collision. Those are very dangerous."

Hunting season is only two weeks away so we can expect to see even more deer sightings.

OPP have these tips:

  • Look all around, not just straight ahead. Deer will often run across the road from ditches and protected areas, such as stream corridors and woodlots.
  • Where you see one deer, expect more. Deer often travel in herds.
  • Slow down. The slower you go, the more time you have to react should you encounter a deer.
  • Deer can move across roads at any time of the day or year, but anticipate higher deer movements in the fall and around sunrise and sunset.
  • Watch for glowing eyes of deer at night.