Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP, Murdo Fraser, has lodged a parliamentary motion in an attempt to increase awareness of Scottish Natural Heritage’s campaign to prevent deer collisions on Scotland’s roads in May and June.
May and June are the peak times for accidents and last year there were over 9,000 collisions involving deer in Scotland.
As part of the SNH campaign, Transport Scotland gantry signs will display warning messages on high risk routes urging drivers to be aware of deer running free on roads.
Murdo Fraser has also highlighted guidance from SNH on how best to react to a deer unexpectedly running out into the road.
Commenting, Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“We have thousands of deer in Perthshire and during May and June they can become a real hazard on the road.
“In lodging this motion I hope to raise wider awareness of this campaign and how best to respond to unexpectedly finding a deer in your path.
“Across Mid-Scotland and Fife we have suffered from one of the worst winters on record and as a result deer have spent longer than usual on lower ground which has increased the number of deer strikes during winter months.
“At best hitting a deer results in a minor crash but it is not uncommon for serious injuries to happen. It is vital that all drivers are aware of the dangers when out and about in May and June and I would encourage them to follow the SNH advice.”