PianoMan
Nitrous
When Whitetail Meets Softail
Motorcyclists on autumn rides, hefty deer herd create a deadly combination as motorcycle use rises
Motorcyclists on autumn rides, hefty deer herd create a deadly combination as motorcycle use rises
By Lawrence Sussman
Riders warned:
Spokesmen for several motorcycle organizations said they routinely warn their members about the dangers deer pose, especially during rutting season in October and November.
Spokesmen for several motorcycle organizations said they routinely warn their members about the dangers deer pose, especially during rutting season in October and November.
"It's really critical to keep alert to deer, for a flick of a tail or their movement on the road shoulders," said Chuck Miles, state safety coordinator for the Harley Owners Group in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. "When you ride a motorcycle, you know that there is some risk involved," he added.
Greg Rodd, executive director of A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments, a motorcycle rights organization also known as ABATE, said his group heightens its deer warnings in fall because "it's their rutting season."
He said he doesn't ride his bike as much at night in fall because it's a peak time for deer to be moving around.
"The increase in the number of cycles and the number of deer just make it more of a possibility for motorcycles and deer to meet," Rodd said.
"And we're more vulnerable," he said. "If we do get into a crash with them, we're going to be injured or killed."
See one deer, expect more
"We tell our people to watch out for deer on the sides of the road, and if you see one deer, there's probably more," he said.
"We tell our people to watch out for deer on the sides of the road, and if you see one deer, there's probably more," he said.
If a deer suddenly crosses the road, he said, "the best thing you can do is keep the bike vertical and apply the brakes, so that if there is a strike, you will be at the lowest speed possible."
Ron Thompson, motorcycle safety program manager for the Wisconsin State Patrol, said the patrol's motorcycle safety courses teach "if you see a deer, brake as much as you can, and then, if necessary, swerve. We also tell them don't brake and swerve at the same time, because that can cause you to lose control, and then you will go down anyway."
The DOT warns that deer are most active at dusk and dawn. The department says that from November to January, deer crashes are most common between 5 p.m. and midnight and between 5 and 7 a.m.
Thompson recommends that motorcyclists, of which he is one, wear full protective gear all the time. The most important piece of equipment is a full-face helmet, Thompson said. "The rest of the body will heal itself. But any brain injury, most of the time, will not heal itself."
