Deer populations have blossomed in recent years to the point where their presence is noted in even the most urban environments.
While they may look pretty out in a field, they are quite the opposite when confronted on the road.
Countless people, including myself, can recall the frightening feeling of seeing a deer jumping into the street just a few feet in front of my vehicle.
So this begs the question, Why do deer jump in front of cars?
Deer jump in front of cars because of their Inability to Process Speed and Distance, Social Behaviors, Skittish Tendencies, Inability to Process Sudden Changes in Lighting, and Habitat Destruction. While many people blame this phenomenon on their lack of intelligence, the aforementioned reasons are actually quite rational once you understand them.
Inability to Process Speed and Distance
So here you are, minding your own business traveling down the road when suddenly a deer jumps right in front of you.
Why on God’s green earth would they choose that path to take?
One possible explanation is deers’ inability to process speed and distance.
They cannot completely comprehend how quickly your vehicle is approaching their immediate vicinity and sometimes jump as a means of escape.
However, as we know, their mental tabulations of speed and distance are far off.
In their minds, they think they’ve made a good choice and will simply jump clear out of the way of your vehicle.
The numerous deer corpses on the side of the road tell a far different story.
That is why it is paramount to exercise extreme caution whenever you see these animals on the side of the road!
Social Behaviors
As discussed in other posts, deer are innately herd animals.
They prefer to travel in groups and will only be seen alone for a select few reasons.
Knowing this, what do you think happens when a few members of a herd cross the road?
Of course the rest of the deer will follow.
Deer aren’t considering your vehicle traveling down the road, they’re just following their fellow herd members. They are far more concerned with sticking with the group than they are your car!
This is extremely important information to remember when driving! Just because you see a deer cross the road in the distance, don’t assume you’re in the clear.
There is an extremely high probability that there are more deer that you can’t see. These deer are waiting to cross the road as well but unfortunately catch many drivers off-guard.
What we perceive as a deer blindly jumping into the street is actually just their attempt to remain with the rest of the herd.
Skittish Tendencies
Deer are very skittish in nature and will often take off running if something scares them.
When they see something approaching quickly, this triggers their fight or flight response.
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes their flight leads them directly into the road and into harm’s way.
People can’t fully comprehend just why deer choose to take such a dangerous escape route but the fact of the matter is, they aren’t thinking rationally during this time.
They are running in any random direction because it is simply a survival mechanism that is woven into their DNA.
So what do you think happens when deer are standing on the side of the road and hear your vehicle speeding in their general direction?
THEY GET SCARED!
This is why it’s of extreme importance that we slow down and move away from them when we see deer while driving.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, honking your horn may serve to frighten them even more rather than getting them to move away.
Don’t forget that deer are wild animals which makes them very unpredictable; especially when in a frightened state!
Inability to Process Sudden Changes in Lighting
Surely you’ve heard the term “deer in the headlights.”
This refers to the blank stare a deer gives you while impending doom (your vehicle) barrels its way towards them.
Rather than using their skittish tendencies to react and move (albeit in a sometimes unpredictable fashion), there is what appears to be, a complete mental shutdown of the animal.
Why do deer sometimes react this way? What causes them to just stand still and freeze instead of getting out of the way?
While people assume the deer is overcome with fear and anxiety, the truth is that the animal isn’t shutting down mentally.
There is a far more rational explanation which has to do with the animal’s perception of light.
You see, deers’ eyesight works best in low-light conditions such as those around dusk and dawn. This is when they tend to be the most active.
So what happens when a set of bright headlights hits a deer’s eyeballs that are designed to capture light?
They essentially become blind! This is because their eyes need additional time to adjust to the lighting conditions.
They are extremely confused during this time and will normally choose to stand still until they can make sense of what’s going on.
Have a look at this buck that seems like he’s completely baffled by the bright headlights:
Now you are informed enough to know what’s actually going on with the deer! His eyes are just struggling to adapt to the bright lighting conditions.
Habitat Destruction
Another possible explanation for why deer jump in front of cars is the destruction of their natural habitat.
Remember earlier in the article where we spoke about seeing deer in urban environments?
This is mostly attributable to habitat destruction.
Construction projects tend to move deer out of the areas they are familiar with.
This causes them to migrate into new areas with unknown dangers such as highways.
A deer jumping into the road could just be the result of the herd exploring new areas to graze.
These animals aren’t wired to be cognizant of roads and vehicles. They are just in search of their next meal and finding a place free from predators.
So while it’s frustrating to have to always keep our heads on a swivel for these animals, we can’t forget that we have a level of responsibility to bear for their roadside presence as well!
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that deer have a track record of running into the road.
Motorists need to remain extremely vigilant when driving as these animals are responsible for many, sometimes fatal, accidents every year (especially in these states)!
It is critical to remember that these animals tend to be most active around dusk, dawn, and rutting season (Fall).
The 5 reasons listed above are some of the best explanations as to why these animals engage in this behavior.
It is vital that you understand these reasons and share them with your fellow motorists to spread awareness.
You may also be interested to know that certain products exist to help mitigate the risk of a deer-related collision.
Please drive safely and feel free to post some of your experiences in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you!