This Is The Time of Year Oklahomans Shouldn't Drive At Night

This time of year, as the sun seems to go down faster every day, we may be thankful to have survived another brutal summer in Oklahoma, but the early darkness takes a little getting used to.

It's worth reminding all Sooner State drivers, the roads aren't super safe at night.

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It's not the other drivers or the weather that poses the greatest risk to travelers this time of year, it's the wildlife.

All the old-timers say deer practically go blind and oblivious to everything around them during the mating season. As the rut is kicking into high gear, collisions with animals are on the rise.

What makes this time of year so dangerous for motorists is that animals blend into nature. It's hard to see deer before it's too late.

Example: Here's a picture of two deer standing in the middle of the road at night.

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By the time you saw the deer, it'd likely be too late.

While a lot of accidents happen while deer are standing in the road, that's the least likely place they'd be.

It's far more common to see deer after the fact standing in the medians or ditched alongside the road. As the earth is radiantly warmed by the concrete and asphalt, the grass tends to stay growing a lot longer alongside them. When spooked, they'll take off running, sometimes directly into your lane.

Half of the time, it isn't the driver who hits the deer. It's the opposite.

One of the more curious traits of deer nature is, and this lends a lot to that "deer go blind" theory, but when spooked deer will typically actually run into the side of a vehicle.

It really is a weird world of nature.

How to avoid hitting deer this time of year.

This is actually a really common Google search. It's not just an Oklahoma thing, it's all over the country where the wild things are, and there is no simple answer.

Some like to adorn their vehicles with gadgets to detour animals, sonic whistles, and things of that nature. They've been proven to be total BS.

Country boys swear by loud exhaust, and while there may be something to it, the novelty wears off driving deaf as you get older. It's not a solution.

Best advice is to slow down and pay attention best as you can.

Good luck.

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Filed Under: Texoma News