It’s Autumn now, and your chance of hitting a deer with your car when driving on roads in rural areas is rising. Deer cause over one million motor vehicle accidents in the US each year, resulting in more than $1 billion in property damage, about 200 human deaths, and 29,000 serious injuries. Researchers figured out that your chances of hitting a deer or other hoofed animal increase when traffic is heavy, drivers are least alert, and driving conditions are poorest for spotting the animals. They specifically found that deer-vehicle accidents are eight times more frequent per hour of dusk than they are during daylight hours, and that they are four times more frequent at dusk than after nightfall. During the week, accidents happen most frequently on days with the most drivers on the road at dawn or dusk, and over the span of the month, most deer-vehicle accidents occur during the full moon, and at the time of night when the moon is brightest. Over the course of a year, the highest number of deer-vehicle accidents are in autumn, particularly during the rut, or mating season for deer. You’re also more likely to hit a deer when daylight saving time ends, which is on November 7th, 2021 in the US. Overall, experts say it’s important to remember that deer-vehicle accidents can occur at any time of day or night, on any day of the year, and that deer can show up in urban areas as well as rural ones.