Officials Issue Urgent Warning to Every New Jersey Motorist

You starting to notice more deer carcasses in the roads lately?

Yep - That's because it's rutting season once again in New Jersey, and it's complicated even more by the coming of Daylight Savings Time coming to an end.

When does Daylight Savings Time End this year?

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Daylight Savings Time will end at 2 am. on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. So be ready to set your clocks back by one hour!

Although this means we get an extra hour of sleep, the effects can still be dizzying since we're disrupting our sleep patterns. This is made more jarring by the fact that our morning commutes will be brighter and our evening commutes will be darker. It takes about a month for us to get used to.

When is rutting season in New Jersey?

"Peak mating season for deer in New Jersey runs from late October to mid-December," according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

According to NJ.com, "deer and other animals are the most active from 5 and 8 a.m. and 5 and 8 p.m., during prime commuting times for many people."

DST Ending + Rutting Season = Increased collision risk

Unfortunately, around this time, this also means we're facing an increased risk of hitting deer while driving, since this is peak mating season. And this is already a big enough problem we face in New Jersey on a normal basis!

Disrupted sleep patterns + darker evening commutes + mating season, all put together? It's the perfect storm for more deer collisions in New Jersey.

So be careful! The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is urging motorists to be on alert for deer as rutting season gets underway. Thousands of deer collisions happen each year, and it gets even worse this time of year.

Keep an even closer eye out for movement in the forest brush while you're driving to and from work! If you see one deer, there's most likely more not far away.