As Iowa nears the peak deer breeding season, a greater eye should be kept out by drivers on the road.

According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, there were five car-versus-deer wrecks in the County this past weekend, with two of the wrecks involving the same deer. Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn says taking a few extra steps to stay safe on the road can avoid these incidents, “Most of the time what we attribute (these accidents) to is late-night driving or it’s sunrise or sunset, and those deer are really out moving about. Make sure we have our headlights on, that’s one of the great things. Make sure you’re scanning those ditches and if you see a deer, maybe even just on the side of the road, even though it’s not crossing, make sure we’re slowing down. If we do see a deer and it’s starting to cross the roadway in front of us, make sure we take that foot off the gas. Don’t swerve; we want to just make sure that we brake and keep driving in that same direction.”

Vaughn mentions that veering for deer can result in the vehicle leaving the roadway, with the risk of striking a pole, bridge abutment, or other hazards, or facing traffic in the oncoming lane. He also urges drivers to slow down during dawn and dusk hours, and always wear your seatbelt.