Iowa Department of Public Safety
Eugene T. Meyer, Commissioner
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Telephone Number: (515) 725-6182
Facsimile Number: (515) 725-6195

Colonel Patrick J. Hoye, Chief

DON'T GET CAUGHT WITH A DEER IN YOUR HEADLIGHT!

Iowa Riders are losing their Lives in Motorcycle/Animal Collisions.

Des Moines, IOWA --- Warm weather is on its way to Iowa and that undoubtedly means more and more riders will be headed out for a relaxing ride.  Unfortunately, that also means Iowa may lose even more motorcyclist.  This May, during Motorcycle Safety Month, riders should take note: many of the collisions in which motorcycle riders lose their lives involve collisions with animals, particularly deer.

In the last two years a significantly greater number of riders have lost their lives in animal/motorcycle collisions.  During the 2007 calendar year, 10 of the 61 motorcycle fatalities in Iowa were a result of animal/motorcycle collisions.  In 2006, 9 of the 57 motorcycle fatalities occurred when an animal and motorcycle collided.  Prior to 2006 and 2007, the all time high such fatalities, was 4 in 2001. 

“The truth is, no matter how good of a rider you are, there are some things you can’t control.  The behavior of the deer population is one of those things.” said Colonel Patrick J. Hoye of the Iowa State Patrol.  “What you can control is your actions when riding.  If you wear your helmet, the simple fact is, you have a better chance of not only surviving a collision with a deer, but going on to live a healthy, normal life.”

Tips to Avoid Motorcycle/Deer Collisions:

• Avoid riding at dawn and dusk when deer are active and difficult to see.
• Reduce your speed in rural areas or known deer habitats.
• Continually scan ditches and wooded areas near roads for deer on the move.
• Don’t let your guard down.  Deer inhabit Iowa all year long.  The threat of a collision doesn’t necessarily decrease or increase with the seasons.

As the weather warms and gas prices rise there will be more and more Iowans choosing to fire up their motorcycle.  Aside from the animal population, there are a myriad of dangers riders should be aware of.  So, now is the time for motorcyclists to examine the choices they make when riding in Iowa.  Are you riding in safe environments?  Do you have your helmet on?  Are you engaged and alert?  If you can answer “yes” to these types of questions, you’re on your way to safe, collision free ride in the state of Iowa.  To view even more tips on how motorcyclists can ride safely, as well as how 4-wheeled vehicles can make the roadways more motorcycle friendly, visit this month’s Iowa State Patrol Trooper Tips Page at http://www.dps.state.ia.us/ISP/tips/trooper_tips.shtml

To enroll in the DPS E-mail Notification system simply log on to https://dpsemailnotify.iowa.gov and follow the instructions to enroll as a new user.