AA issues warning ahead of peak deer strike month
The AA’s Accident Assist team is warning drivers to be extra vigilant on rural roads in May, as peak deer strike month arrives and the likelihood of seeing and hitting a deer running across the road increases.
New figures from AA Accident Assist show that on average 90 members are helped each month due to deer strikes, but this increases by as much as 50% in May when compared to other months.
Peak deer strike month
In May 2025, a total of 205 deer were hit by AA members, compared to a monthly average of 135. So far this year, AA members have reported 454 deer strikes, as well as 1619 incidents last year.
Deer strikes in May, peak deer strike month, since 2021:
- May 2021 – 172
- May 2022 – 162
- May 2023 – 187
- May 2024 – 179
- May 2025 – 205
The increase in deer strikes in May each year is in addition to the other spike in deer strikes every autumn due to rutting. In spring young deer begin leaving their breeding grounds, often for the first time, and end up running across roads to access new ground.
Bailey Bavister, 23, recently hit a deer when driving on the A339, between Basingstoke and Alton in Hampshire. The impact to the drivers side front headlight and wing of his Audi A3 led to the immediate death of the deer, as well as a £7,500 repair bill. While the costs were covered by his insurance policy after an excess payment, the repairs included a new bonnet, headlight and casing, grill, wheel arch and door.
Shock and sadness
Describing the incident, Bailey said: “I was driving home when the deer bounded into the opposite lane, bounced directly into my driver’s side headlight. It then rolled down the driver’s side door before jumping back into the verge it came from. Shock is the only way to describe it. Sadly, you always see roadkill on country lanes and long drives and think it would’ve done some damage, never really thinking it could happen to you. It happened in the blink of an eye and was completely out of my control.”
The Road Traffic Act 1988 does not require people to report deer strikes to the Police, but it is recommend that drivers do so, as well as the local authority, especially if the deer is causing an obstruction in the road. Drivers can also inform the Deer Aware website so incidents can be tracked.
Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said: “Bailey’s experience is a classic example of just how shocking and damaging a deer strike can be. It can be very difficult to avoid colliding with a deer, but reducing your speed and taking extra care to look ahead on rural roads can make a difference.
“As there is no other driver involved, deer collisions are inevitably recorded as ‘driver at fault’ incidents. For those who did everything they could to avoid hitting a deer or it happened too fast to react, this is a hard pill to swallow, along with the sense of tragedy.
“As the deer population continues to boom, we are concerned that 2026 could see record levels of deer strikes,” Rankin added.
