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Contact: Sarah Davis, (662) 680-4014
LEE CO, MS – It’s that time of year again. As food sources change, so do the habits of deer and other mammals that live along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Park Rangers report that 90% of all reported motor vehicle collisions involving deer happen between the months of September and March. “One third of all motor vehicle collisions on the Parkway involve deer. Of those, 90% occur in fall and winter months,” stated Chief Ranger Sarah Davis. Rangers remind drivers that as food sources change and the breeding season kicks in, deer movement increases and deer are more likely to feed along the Parkway road shoulder. To increase safety, drivers should obey all traffic laws especially at dawn and dusk, slow down, and only travel as fast as conditions permit. Remember, if a deer runs out in front of you; do not swerve, it is better to hit the deer than to run off the road and hit a tree.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision with a deer, you should contact 911 or 1-800-300-PARK (7815) and remain with your vehicle on scene unless instructed otherwise.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 413 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
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Last updated: November 3, 2016