Fall is the most dangerous time of the year for vehicle/deer accidents, and motorists traveling in wooded or field-covered areas should be especially aware of this problem, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said.

In DeKalb County alone, 15 percent of the total accidents handled in 1987 were caused by a vehicle hitting a deer, Scott said.

“Deer/vehicle accidents are a serious problem every year,” Scott said. “Glidden and Plank roads are both bad roads for accidents because of their wooded areas and cornfields, and those are two roads students use a lot.”

The fall season (October and November) is the most dangerous time for the possibility of deer/vehicle accidents. Therefore, drivers need to be especially aware of deer alongside the road.

“Fall is the mating season for deer, and they’re so intent they don’t pay attention to anything else.

“That’s why they run in front of cars. They simply don’t see them,” Scott said.

Although deer can appear at anytime, on any road, the most hazardous times are dusk and pre-dawn.

At these low light times, or while it is dark, the glare of headlights blinds deer, and they freeze in the headlights.

The Sav-a-Life Deer Alert is a warning device that emits ultrasonic sound waves from 16,000 to 20,000 Hertz which warns deer and many other animals of an approaching vehicle.

The whistle does not bother people or animals inside the car, but draws the attention of a deer or other animals so they avoid jumping in front of the vehicle.

Luann Scarmozzino, of Sav-a-Life, Inc. in New York, said the device, which has been marketed since 1982, has been tested at an 80 percent success rate. It is thumb-size, can be easily attached to a vehicle’s bumper, and works at a range of about 400 yards.

Movement of the vehicle over 30 mph causes air to flow through the device, which in turn causes the high pitched whistle to sound.

“Its sound waves can be heard by most animals, except for cows, sheep and camels,” Scarmozzino said. “Some motorcyclists use it to keep dogs from chasing them.”

The Sav-a-Life Deer Alert can by purchased at many automotive and sporting goods stores for under $30 and should last as long as it is cared for well.