CHAPEL HILL – As we enter the last weeks of November, many of our thoughts turn to the holidays.  But as drivers, we need to be focused on something other than that good parking space while out shopping.

The cooler weather has brought with it the hunting season and the annual time when deer start to mate.  As these animals travel, they have no concept of cars and trucks when they cross roads.  The rural areas around Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough are perfect places to be faced with a deer in your pathway.

William Brown is the owner of Brown’s Auto and Collision in Chapel Hill.  He says that his shop hasn’t gotten too busy, yet with car-deer accidents.

“We haven’t been too busy,” Brown says. “It’s kind of off right now.”

But when they do occur, Brown says they can be costly.

“Depending on the type of car and what the parts cost, (they) average about $1,800 to $2,500,” Brown says.

Brown says, the best way to avoid an accident with a deer is to drive defensively.

“Pay attention to where they’re driving,” Brown says. “Look at the side of the roads.”

Brown also points out that you don’t have to hit a deer in order to be involved in a deer-related accident…

“A lot of times the damage is caused because people try not to hit them and run off the road and hit something else,” Brown says.

Not only can an accident involving your car and a deer be damaging to your vehicle, it can also cause personal injury to you and your passengers and even death.