It’s fall and that means deer season in Dallas County.

High season for car crashes with deer is October through December.

Each year, they account for more than 150 human and nearly one and a half million deer fatalities.

Experts attribute the problem to the combination of deer mating and migration habits and shortened daylight hours.

Response Insurance suggests a few basic cautions for drivers.

& Scan a wide swath of the roadside.

Slow down when approaching a deer standing near the side of a road and be prepared. If startled, the deer can bolt onto the road and into your path. If necessary, honk your horn and flash your lights to try to scare it away.

& Be alert for more deer than you may see at that moment. Where there is one deer, there are often more nearby.

& In many instances, it is best not to swerve around the deer since the deer may move in the same direction. You may also inadvertently hit another vehicle, or go off onto a dangerous shoulder. Unless certain of those road factors, it is often best to simply brake and continue in your lane of traffic.

& Be particularly careful at dawn and dusk and when driving either over a hill or around a curve, where visibility is limited. Use your high beams to give you a greater area of visibility and allow you to see the deer’s eyes sooner.

& Deer whistles or ultrasonic deer avoidance systems attached to vehicles have never been proven to work by independent studies and may give drivers a false sense of security.

& Take deer crossing signs seriously, particularly those installed specifically for this time of year.

Be particularly cautious in wooded and agricultural areas where there is little distance between the road and the woods.

More driver safety information is available at www.Response.com

/safety.