Deer are a common sighting in and around the University of Illinois Springfield campus. However, this time of year deer are more than just another form of resident wildlife. They also present a danger to drivers.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is warning drivers to be aware that it is peak deer-mating season, which increases the chance of deer vs. vehicle collisions.

About 40 percent of 2023’s deer-vehicle crashes in Illinois happened in the final three months of the year, with November being the highest-risk month, IDOT officials said. About three-fourths of the crashes happened at twilight or nighttime.

IDOT data show Sangamon County — which includes the University of Illinois Springfield campus area that is often visited by deer this time of year — in 2023 had the eighth-most crashes of any Illinois county at 338.

The county rank jumps to No. 4 when considering its annual deer-vehicle crash average of about 336 from 2018 through 2023. The top three counties during the six-year timeframe were Cook, Madison and Will.

See chart of top Illinois counties for deer-vehicle crashes.

See Illinois county map showing average annual deer-vehicle crashes between 2018-2023.

Last year, IDOT recorded 14,862 crashes involving deer. Of those, 663 crashes caused injuries and seven resulted in deaths.

“Whether you’re in an urban, suburban or rural area, pay extra attention to your surroundings, especially in spots where there have been previous deer sightings,” IDOT Secretary Omer Osman said in a news release.

Osman said people should not try to swerve out of the way of a deer in the road. Instead, drivers should try to “glance” their vehicle against the deer and avoid entering other lanes of traffic.

Other suggestions include scanning the sides of the road for “eye shine” — headlights reflecting in deer’s eyes — and slowing down if a deer is spotted because it’s likely that there’s more than one in the area.

Bridgette Fox is a graduate student in the UIS Public Affairs Reporting program.