State Farm Says Deer Collisions Most Likely on WV Roads

According to a study done by State Farm Insurance, WV ranks #1 in deer-vehicle collisions. On WV roadways, you have a 1 in 45 percent chance of hitting a down, up from 1 in 57 last year. October, November, and December are usually the worst months for this type of collision.

Ths USDA Forest Service offers these tips on their website:

Defensive Driving Tips to avoid hitting a deer

Keep a close watch for deer at dawn and dusk. Deer are most active during these times.

Be especially alert and drive with caution. Be on the lookout for deer crossing signs and slow down.

Be aware of your surroundings, just because you don’t see a deer crossing sign posted, it doesn’t mean deer won’t unexpectedly appear.

Flash your lights or honk your horn to frighten deer away from the side of the road.

When you encounter deer along the roadside, turn on your emergency lights to let other motorists know about the potential danger.

Use your high-beam headlights when there is no opposing traffic. The headlight beam will illuminate the eyes of deer and provide greater driver reaction time.

Upon seeing a deer, immediately slow down. Do not swerve - because this can confuse deer as to where to run. It could also cause you to lose control and hit a tree or another car.

If you can’t avoid the accident, then just hit the deer while maintaining control of your vehicle. Some experts say that if such a collision is inevitable, you should avoid braking at impact so that the deer may pass underneath your car as opposed to hitting the windshield.

Look for other deer after one has crossed the road. Deer commonly travel in groups, so the probability is high that other deer will be in front of or behind the one you’ve seen.

Don’t rely on hood-mounted deer whistles and other devices to scare away deer.

Always wear your seatbelt. Most people injured and/or killed in deer - automobile collisions were not wearing their seat belt.

Finally, remember to ... SLOW DOWN FOR WILDLIFE!

What to do when you strike a deer

If you are unable to avoid a collision with a deer, take the following steps:

Do not touch the animal! The deer, in attempting to move or get away, could hurt you or itself.

Remove your automobile from the roadway, if possible.

Call the police.

Halloween Planner out for Impaired Driving Initiatives

Switching topics to impaired driving, I'll address the first poll which was regarding the legal limit of Blood Alcohol Concetration(BAC) when driving. West Virginia's limit is .08, though drivers under the age of 21 have an even lower limit of .02, which essentially means they cannot have any mesaurable amount of alcohol in their systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also put its Halloween Planner up on the web at www.stopimpaireddriving.org, and a link to the planner is here. For anyone wishing to adovcate highway safety during Halloween, this is a perfect resource for ideas and information, especially with regard to impaired driving. Halloween falls on a Friday this year, so we need to spread the word that law enforcement will be cracking down on impaired drivers over the holiday weekend.

Ford Announces Plans to Curb Teen Speeding, Improve Safety

MyKey device on many 2010 models will not allow driver to go beyond 80 mph.

Ford Motor Company has unveiled its newest safety feature-a computer chip in the vehicle key that will allow parents to set a speed limit on their child's driving. You can find the full article on Ford's web site here.

MyKey also gives a persistent seat belt reminder if seat belts are not fastened, and mutes the volume on the radio until the driver buckles up.

Parents can limit the vehicle's audio volume as well with MyKey, and program reminder chimes at 45, 55 or 65 mph intervals.

What do you think? In theory, I think this is a great idea, but I do wonder about certain situations where you might need to exceed 80 mph (or 50, 60, or 70), especially to avoid a crash. Comments? Thoughts?

DMV to Require all License Renewal Applicants to Pass Vision Screening

UPDATE 10/8--This was in the Charleston Gazette online this morning, and I heard it on the radio as well-it will be interesting to see people's reactions-the feedback I've heard so far has almost been that of incredulousness that vision screening was not already a standard. Certainly the new standard is a step forward for safety.

The WV DMV issued a press release today about the change in process to renew your driver's license. Starting January 2, 2009, a vision screening will be required before license renewals will be issued. An applicant must be able to see at a level of 20/40 in the best eye, the same standard required of an applicant for a first driver's license. I am very much for this change in process, especially since it reflects a safety issue.

According to the press release, "West Virginia is now one of more than forty states to require mandatory vision screening at the time of driver’s license renewal for safety reasons. Good vision is an essential part of safe driving. It is important to see an eye care professional as soon as possible if there are any doubts about vision before coming to the DMV to avoid any possible delays in processing a driver’s license renewal."

The vision screening will be the same given for a first driver's license; however, if someone is uncomfortable about being screened at the DMV, they may bring a completed vision report form (DMV- DLAB 2), signed by a licensed optometrist, and dated less than 90 days from the application date.

For more information, contact the DMV at 1-800-642-9066.