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SEMCOG releases statistics on deer crashes in Southeast Michigan There were 6,278 vehicle-deer crashes in Southeast Michigan in 2008 (down from 6,280 in 2007 and from 6,358 in 2006), according to figures released by SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, based on crash data received from the Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center. That figure represents nearly five percent of all crashes in 2008 (133,440 total). In 2008, a vehicle-deer crash occurred every 1.4 hours. The greatest number of deer crashes occur most often in the early morning between 6 and 7 a.m.; in contrast, overall crashes occur most often in late afternoon between 3 and 6 p.m. Deer crashes are more prevalent now for a couple of reasons — rapid development in previously rural areas and a statewide deer herd four times larger than in 1970 and 10 times larger in Southeast Michigan. Oakland County had the most vehicle-deer crashes in the seven-county SEMCOG region (1,859; 5 percent) and ranked third in Michigan behind Jackson and Kent Counties. However, Livingston County experienced the highest percentage (22 percent) of deer-vehicle crashes (to all crashes) in 2008 in Southeast Michigan.
Rochester Hills and Oakland Township experienced the most deer crashes in Southeast Michigan in 2008. While Rochester Hills tops the list for the 11th straight year, deer crashes dropped significantly (25 percent from 2007 to 2008). The top 10 list follows in the chart below. Other community numbers are accessible by county in the hyperlinked list above.
Many of the outermost communities in the seven-county SEMCOG region saw high percentages of crashes involving deer. In Manchester Township, located in Washtenaw County, 69 percent of all crashes involved deer, followed by Grant Township (St. Clair County, 66 percent), Greenwood Township (St. Clair County, 62 percent), Unadilla Township (Livingston County, 62 percent), and Lynn Township (St. Clair County, 54 percent). SEMCOG is a member of the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition (MDCC), now in its 13th year, working to decrease vehicle-deer crashes. This year, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources estimates the deer herd to be 1.8 million. The coalition notes that deer crashes occur most frequently during October, November, and December; most occur on two-lane roads between dusk (6-10 p.m.) and dawn (5-8 a.m.). In 2008, there were 12 fatalities involving deer in the state (up from 11 in 2007). Deer crashes are costly. In Michigan, deer crashes cost at least $130 million per year; the average insurance claim is about $2,100 in damage, usually to the front end, often leaving the vehicle undriveable. The coalition cautions drivers not to swerve out of a lane to avoid a deer. It's generally safer to hit the deer than run off the road or risk injuring another motorist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.9 million people in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region's quality of life.
SEMCOG. . . Equipping local government leaders for the future
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