Clocks fall back, deer collisions surge: why November commutes bring heightened road hazards

As millions of drivers adjust their dashboards and body clocks for the end of Daylight Saving Time, transportation and wildlife officials are issuing a seasonal warning: while human routines shift back an hour, wildlife behavior remains entirely unchanged.

The annual time shift abruptly pushes the evening commute into twilight and darkness, overlapping directly with peak wildlife activity and triggering an immediate spike in roadway collisions. According to traffic safety and wildlife studies, deer-vehicle collisions jump by an average of 16% nationwide during the very week clocks fall back.

A Perfect Storm in the Twilight Hours

The dangerous convergence on autumn roadways is largely biological. November marks the height of the white-tailed deer mating season, known as the “rut.” During this window, bucks actively pursue does across open fields and roadways, drastically lowering their natural wariness of traffic.

Compounding the problem, deer are not the only animals on the move:

• Raccoons increase nighttime foraging hours to store critical body fat before cold weather sets in.

• Young foxes born in the spring have dispersed from their natal dens and are roaming unfamiliar corridors in search of new winter hunting territories.

Because animal movement peaks at dusk, the most hazardous driving period occurs during the two hours immediately following sunset—a stretch that now coincides directly with the peak 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. evening commute. Researchers report that vehicle collisions with deer occur 14 times more frequently in the two hours after sunset than in the two hours preceding it.

Crucial Defensive Driving Tips for November

Highway safety experts advise motorists to adopt defensive driving habits throughout the month to avoid sudden impacts:

1. Slow Down at Dusk: Reduce speed during the transitional hour from sunset to full darkness, when animal movement is heaviest and visibility drops sharply.

2. Scan the Shoulders & Use High Beams: When oncoming traffic permits, utilize high-beam headlights to illuminate road edges and look for the reflective glow of animal eyes.

3. Expect Followers: Deer rarely travel alone during the rut. If one deer crosses your lane, assume another is trailing closely behind.

4. Brake, Don’t Swerve: If a collision is imminent, drivers are urged to brake firmly while holding the steering wheel straight. Swerving at high speeds often causes drivers to lose control, leave the roadway, strike fixed objects like trees, or veer into oncoming lanes, resulting in far more catastrophic injuries than an animal impact alone.

Community Driver Advisory: Fall Commute & Wildlife Safety

• The Stat: Deer-vehicle accidents jump 16% during the week following the daylight saving time change, with crashes 14 times more frequent in the two hours after sunset.

• Why Now: November brings the height of the deer breeding season (the rut), along with winter-foraging raccoons and young dispersing foxes crossing roadways.

• Safety Protocol: Slow down between dusk and full dark, scan roadway shoulders, anticipate trailing deer, and never swerve into oncoming traffic or ditches if an animal appears in your lane.

For an in-depth breakdown of how the end of Daylight Saving Time impacts wildlife patterns and traffic risks, take a look at this Deer Crashes and Daylight Saving Time Explanation. This video outlines the statistical surge in deer collisions that occurs each fall when evening commuter traffic shifts into dark, peak animal activity hours.