JONES COUNTY, Ga. — According to a AAA report, more than 1.5 million deer-related car accidents occur in the country each year, causing billions in damage.
For some southeastern states, rut season is hitting its peak, so while driving they may be in your line of sight, giving drivers the urge to swerve your car.
University of Georgia Extension says the deer mating season typically runs late October to early November but it varies across the state. That's when people are most likely to see deer by the side of the road or even running out in the road.
The owner of H&H Bodyshop, Craig Amerson, tells 13WMAZ around this time their shop tends to see an influx of people with dings and damage related to deer accidents.
"Most of the damage is typically front end, you do see a lot of down the sides," Amerson said.
When on the road, traveling between early morning or late night hours, deer may appear but Captain Travis Douglas with the Jones County Sheriff's Office says its important to stay in control.
"Lot of times when we have accidents here, people swerve, they run off the road, they wind up in a ditch, turn the car over and a lot of times they get more injuries than if they would have just hit the deer," Douglas said.
Douglas said his deputies know the situation all too well.
"Generally we'll have six, seven, eight accidents where our deputies actually hit deer in their patrol routes. We generally see an uptick in this season right here in the colder months," Douglas said.
He said remember to slow down - especially when it's dark out - follow the speed limit and be prepared to hit the deer head-on if it runs in front of your car, adding if there's a crash, pull off the road.
He also said, a good rule of thumb to follow: if there's one deer alongside the road, always assume there's more following.
"Just put yourself in a safe position, dial 9-1-1; if you can move the car out of the roadway, get the car out of the roadway and just call us," Douglas said.
Amerson says its important to review your insurance policy to see if it'll cover repairs because they can be costly.
"Price range from deer hits from anywhere on the low side is $1,500 and it could be, I've seen them as high as $11,000 and $12,000 for damage, which you would never think a deer could do that kind of damage," Amerson said.
He said begin filing a claim with your insurance as soon as possible and once that's done, bring the car in for a complete damage assessment.
For a closer look at peak deer activity across the state, visit Georgia Department of Natural Resources to view their map of projected rut season in all 159 counties.