Clay County Sheriff’s Office Issues Warning on Rising Deer Collisions

Hayesville, NC – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to exercise caution due to a recent increase in deer-related vehicle collisions across the county. In a recent social media post, the Sheriff’s Office highlighted the growing presence of deer near roadways, particularly at night, as they feed close to roads, leading to a spike in accidents that can cause significant vehicle damage and potential injuries.

To help prevent collisions, the Sheriff’s Office provided several safety tips for drivers. They recommend maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles, especially at night, to avoid chain-reaction crashes if a deer is struck. Drivers are advised to slow down in areas marked with deer crossing signs or in heavily wooded regions, particularly during late afternoon and evening hours when deer are most active. The Sheriff’s Office noted that deer-vehicle crashes are more common near bridges, overpasses, railroad tracks, streams, and ditches.

Additional tips include using high beams when possible to spot deer eyes reflecting in headlights, staying alert for multiple deer traveling in herds, and sounding a single long horn blast to scare deer away from roads. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that swerving to avoid a deer can lead to loss of vehicle control and more severe accidents. If a collision occurs, drivers should not touch the injured deer, as it may be dangerous, and should instead move their vehicle off the road, if possible, and call 911.

The Sheriff’s Office stressed that the most critical advice is to slow down when driving in areas where deer are likely to be present.