MODOT Encourages Residents To “Watch Out” For Deer At All Times

It may be that beautiful time of the year again to check out the fall foliage while driving down the road but it’s also an especially important time to keep at least one eye on the roadway for a stray deer…or two…or more.

“They’re (The Deer) making really poor decisions. And unfortunately that means for motorists, there’s going to be some new bumpers, hoods and windshields probably replaced.”

That’s MoDOT Central District Area Engineer who also says, considering the alternatives, drivers sometimes have to make difficult decisions when encountering wildlife in the roadway.

“The basic instructions when you do see a deer is don’t swerve. The deer is less of a hazard than the fixed object off the road. The tree that you could hit, the guardrail that you could bump into. So unfortunately, the deer is the better of the alternatives when it comes to the impact that you could have.”

In the meantime, MoDOT is hoping to wrap up its mowing operations this week in advance of possible winter weather which could be on the horizon for next week.