Animal collisions — Kansas Permit Test

If a collision with a Kansas animal is inevitable a driver should not swerve to avoid it, because their risk of personal injury may be greater if they do.

Swerving sends you into oncoming traffic or off the road. Hitting the deer is usually the survivable outcome.

If a collision is inevitable, do not swerve to avoid the animal. Your risk of personal injury may be greater if you do.

A Kansas driver should use caution when driving at dawn and dusk and between the months of October through December, when animals are most active.

Deer move at first and last light, and most in the fall. Those are the hours and months to expect them.

Use caution when driving at dawn and dusk and between the months of October through December, when animals are most active.

A Kansas driver should scan the sides of the road to watch for the reflection of their headlights in the eyes of animals, especially at night and near woods and water.

The eyes reflect long before the animal is visible. That reflection is your only early warning at night.

Scan the sides of the road to watch for the reflection of your vehicle headlights in the eyes of animals, especially at night and near woods and water.

A Kansas driver should slow down and use caution when approaching animals standing near the roadway, because they may bolt or change direction at the last minute and there may be others following since they travel in groups.

Where there is one deer there are usually more. The second one crosses just as you relax.

They may bolt or change direction at the last minute, and there may be other deer following since they travel in groups.

A Kansas driver who thinks they have time to avoid hitting an animal reduces speed, taps the brakes to warn other drivers and sounds the horn, but flashing headlights may cause a deer to freeze in the road.

Deer fixate on lights and stop dead. Flashing at them does the opposite of what you want.

Deer tend to fixate on headlights so flashing them may cause the animal to freeze in the road.

A Kansas driver should use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers when animals are spotted on or near the road.

The driver behind has no view past your car. A warning from you is the only one they get.

Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers when animals are spotted on or near the road.

Kansas deer crossing signs are placed in areas that have had a large number of deer and vehicle collisions.

The sign is not decoration; it marks a place where this has already happened repeatedly.

These signs are placed in areas that have had a large number of deer/vehicle collisions.

What does Kansas say when a collision with an animal is unavoidable?

Do not swerve; keep the vehicle under control. Swerving sends you into oncoming traffic or off the road. Hitting the deer is usually the survivable outcome. Kansas Driving Handbook, p.92: “If a collision is inevitable, do not swerve to avoid the animal. Your risk of personal injury may be greater if you do.”