RIVER VALE—Deer–vehicle collisions have increased over the last two full years from 2020 to 2021, with police accident reports showing about a 20% increase. A Pascack Press review found a large percentage of those accidents occurring on Rivervale Road, Piermont Avenue and Westwood Avenue.
Other township roads were also cited regularly in reports of deer–vehicle mishaps, including Prospect Avenue, Poplar Road, and Orangeburgh Road.
And true to prior warnings, the majority of accidents — 70 reported accidents over 2020 and 2021 — occurred around dawn and dusk though accidents also seem to be occurring randomly at all hours of the day, meaning a deer may be active and enter a roadway when you least expect it.
So far by May 2022, 12 deer had been killed in deer–vehicle collisions, slightly lower than prior years.
“We have approximately 20 to 25 deer crossing signs posted throughout town. That includes county and municipal roads. On all county roads there is a sign near the entry of the road in both directions. In areas of high deer traffic there are additional signs on those county roads, River Vale Police Capt. Chris Bulger told Pascack Press.
Bulger told us that to his knowledge, no local resident has sustained any serious injuries in a deer-vehicle collision and that often the vehicle damage is minimal in such crashes.
His suggestions for avoiding a deer collision include: Be aware of your surroundings; monitor vehicle speed; and slow down and pay attention.
Bulger said when a deer is killed, the DPW picks up the deer and transports it to their yard. From there, he said the county’s deer carcass removal service comes and picks up the deer at no cost.
One common theme in deer-vehicle accident reports in 2020 and 2021 state that the deer just appeared on the road or ran into the road — and often a thump or something more pronounced was heard. The reports all noted that the driver was unable to stop in time and hit the deer.
Most motorists appeared to pull over after hitting a deer, though some also kept going and other motorists reported a dead or dying deer in the collision’s aftermath.
The large majority of local deer-related accidents caused few human injuries, although it appears most deer died or were not recovered at the scene.
Moreover, most cars appeared drivable after their collisions with deer, although several needed to be towed from the scene. The reports did not explain why the tows were necessary although several crashes reported “moderate” front-end damage.
So far in 2022, deer–vehicle accident rates are down but police officials advise following speed limits, driving defensively especially around dawn and dusk hours, and being alert for deer on roads that border large open spaces and wooded areas.
Often, officials warn, deer travel in groups so where there’s one deer, often more deer are nearby and follow that deer into the roadway, generally not aware of oncoming vehicles.
Several years ago, animal-protection advocates lobbied local officials to put up signs on Rivervale Road to warn drivers to slow down, and pressed for better monitoring of speeding motorists along roads frequented by deer.
It was unclear if any specific actions were taken to provide additional road signage, though local officials did “pause” initial plans to hold a local deer bow hunt in late 2019 and never reconsidered the plan again.
While initially pressing for a deer hunt to control deer numbers, Mayor Glen Jasionowski said his overarching reason was to prevent a local fatal accident related to a deer-vehicle collision. He did not cite crash statistics, however, but focused on overpopulation numbers compiled by a drone survey that the township had previously ordered.
Every year in late fall, local police and the state environmental protection department warn motorists statewide to be especially careful during the so-called “rut” or mating season in late October through mid-December when deer are especially active.
In 2020 and 2021, there were 70 reported deer-vehicle collisions in River Vale, including 32 in 2020 and 38 in 2021, said local police. In 2020, there were 32 collisions between deer and vehicles on township roads.
In 2021, there were 38 deer-vehicle collisions, an increase of about 19%. So far by mid-May 2022, 12 deer collisions had been reported to local police.
Police officials noted that these were the accidents actually reported, although the numbers may be higher due to unreported accidents. At least five reports, or more, in each year reviewed by Pascack Press included reports filed by witnesses that saw a deer lying injured or dead on a road.
These callers were not involved in the deer accident but witnessed a deer lying on or near a road, following a recent collision.
Also regularly, when local officers responded, their reports cited the deer or deers involved in a deer-vehicle accident as “GOA,” or gone on arrival.
Accident reports also noted that deer that are not found lying dead in the road or near the roadside — which many are — were last seen trying to get off the road or into the woods.
Officers’ reports note that they check surrounding areas to try to locate the injured or dead deer. If found, the River Vale–Montvale Pascack Valley public works department is notified for carcass pickup, reports stated. Generally, if a deer appeared injured and stayed on the scene, local police notified the county animal control.
At an early May deer management program held at River Vale Public Library, Tenafly Nature Center Executive Director Debora Davidson said that due to deer numbers increasing, “it’s highly likely for you to potentially hit a deer when driving on roads.”
She said human population density, deer population density, deer habitat, road size, and vehicle speeds all play a part in possibly hitting a deer. “If you’re driving 20 to 25 miles per hour, you’re most likely not going to hit a deer. But if you’re going 60 to 70 miles per hour, you’re going to be more likely because you can’t stop in time, there’s just no way,” she said.
She said single lane, two-way roads have higher deer-vehicle collision rates but roadways with medians have lower rates because deer often stop on the median.
If an area is known for deer or signs indicate deer, take extra caution at dawn and dusk and she advised driving slower, sticking to posted speed limits, and using defensive driving techniques, she said.
Carol Tyco, a wildlife specialist with Tyco Animal Control, and a consultant to 24 Bergen County municipalities, has noted that deer overpopulation remains one of the county’s unaddressed issues. She consults for Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale and Washington Township.
Asked about Davidson’s recommendation for a countywide approach to deer overpopulation, she said, “The overpopulation will not end until the County comes up with a true plan … anything will be better than the ‘let’s ignore this and hope it goes away’ attitude,” she told Pascack Press.
For a full report on Davidson’s program, see “Expert: ‘Coexist with deer — Forum at River Vale Public Library against backdrop of collisions,” Pascack Press, May 16, 2022.