One morning, I was driving along a back road to one of my college classes when a deer suddenly jumped directly into my path.  By a sheer miracle, the deer, my car and I all escaped without injury. (Although I did pull off the road to calm my nerves.)
Not everyone is lucky enough to avoid a collision. The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that there are around 1.25 million deer-vehicle collisions each year.
Before you get too concerned, here are some helpful tips on how to avoid deer-vehicle collisions and how to handle hitting a deer.
What are the odds?
Hitting a deer is most likely to occur around sunrise and sunset. This is when deer are the most active—and that’s especially true during the final few months of the year.
Drivers in northeastern states also have a higher risk of hitting a deer due to exploding deer populations. To give you an idea, drivers in West Virginia have a 1 in 41 chance of hitting a deer. Other high-risk states include Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina and South Carolina, to name a few.  
How to avoid hitting a deer
Nobody wants to end up with a crushed fender or a broken windshield. You can decrease your chances of hitting a deer by following these tips:

• Slow down during dawn and dusk hours. Driving slower will give you extra time to react to deer (or other animals) that dart into the road.

• Pay attention to warning signs. Deer-populated areas are normally marked with a sign. Look out for them, especially during the fall and winter months.

• Use high beams (if possible). Using your high beams at night will illuminate the road and help you spot deer.

• Wear your seat belt. If you do hit a deer, wearing a seat belt decreases your chances of injury.   

How to handle hitting a deer
Taking the above precautions can help you  avoid hitting a deer. Yet they don’t entirely rule out the possibility of having a run-in with a deer.
If a deer does dash in front of your vehicle, don’t swerve in an attempt to avoid it. Swerving often does more harm than good since you could hit a tree or an oncoming vehicle.
If there’s no way around the deer, maintain your current speed or try to slow down. Never speed up. This can cause the deer to hit your vehicle with more force, which will only cause more damage.
Pull over as soon as it’s safe. Be cautious when examining your vehicle—injured deer can still lash out and hurt someone.
It’s best to call the police and get a police report for evidence when you make an insurance claim. If you can’t make a call, take photos if possible.
Finally, in instances in which the deer is dead, you can often request to keep the carcass for meat. (Deer burgers anyone?)
Don’t let deer get you down. Deer-vehicle collisions are covered under the optional comprehensive portion of your auto insurance. Talk with an insurance professional like an Erie Insurance agent to make sure you have the right coverage for your car.
- See more at: https://www.erieinsurance.com/Blog/2015/hitting-a-deer?utm_source=eriefacebook&utm_medium=eriesocial&utm_campaign=general#prclt-WBAwYSh1

​If you are a snowbird heading south for the winter, there are several key things you can do to help protect your vacant home. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, heating or electrical system malfunctions and other possible threats while you are away for an extended period of time.
Download the Winterizing Your Home Checklist PDF 
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​1. Make Your Home Appear as Though It Is Continuously Occupied

• Forward your mail, stop newspaper delivery, and ask a friend or relative to collect flyers or other items that may be left at your door.
• Arrange for someone to remove snow after storms.
• Put motion-sensitive exterior lights and interior lights on timers and set them to come on at varying times to discourage prowlers.

2. Take Steps to Protect Your Home from Thieves

• Confirm that your alarm systems are in working order and have been activated.
• Secure external doors and windows with deadbolt locks, security-type hinges and sturdy door frames that cannot be spread apart. Install slide locks or other equivalent security locks on sliding glass doors or French doors.
• Store valuables that you are not taking with you in a safe deposit box or other secure offsite location.
• Do not post your vacation or travel plans on social media sites, as potential thieves can use that information to learn that your house is vacant.

3. Protect Your Pipes to Avoid Water Damage by Turning Off Your Water Supply

• If a pipe bursts or leaks while you are away, it could cause significant damage. Consider completely turning off the water supply if no one will be in the home for an extended period of time. If your home is heated by an older steam heating system, consult with your heating professional to determine if it is safe to turn off the water supply for your particular heating system. Also, if your home is protected by a fire sprinkler system, do not turn off the water to this system.
• Drain your pipes of all water by opening the faucets, and flush your toilet to clear the water from the tank and bowl, then consider pouring antifreeze in toilet tanks and bowls to prevent any remaining water from freezing and cracking.* Always use non-toxic antifreeze rated for plumbing systems.
• To help confirm that the pipes have been drained, consider having a plumber blow compressed air through the pipes.

4. Keep Your Home and Plumbing Warm if Your Water Supply Stays On

• If you decide against draining your water pipes, keep the furnace running to help ensure the home stays warm and the pipes do not freeze.
• Set the temperature at 55°F or higher to help keep the interior of the floor and wall cavities, where the water piping is likely located above freezing temperatures. Keeping room and cabinet doors open also helps heat to circulate and warm the areas where pipes are located.
• Shut off the water to washing machines and dishwashers where possible, to avoid any leaks or broken hoses while you are away.
• Turn off the heat source and water supply to hot water heaters (if separate from your boiler).
• Consider shutting off and draining outdoor water faucets to prevent vandalism and freezing damage.
• Have a water flow sensor and low temperature sensor installed on your main water supply pipe and hooked into a constantly monitored alarm system or your smart phone.

5. Perform Routine Maintenance Before You Leave

• Have your heating system inspected and serviced before winter. Have your fuel tanks filled before you leave, and ask someone to check on heat and fuel levels regularly while you are gone.
• Be sure to maintain electrical power if required to keep the heating system running. If electrical service to the home is to remain on, consider having a licensed electrical contractor inspect your main electrical panel, wiring and outlets, if necessary. This way, they can repair or replace anything that may be defective.
• Have your roof inspected before you leave and clean your gutters to help prevent ice from building up.*
• Remove dead trees or large overhanging limbs that could damage your house.
• Unplug all unnecessary appliances before you leave. Make sure you can retrieve messages on your home answering machine or voicemail so it does not indicate FULL or unattended when someone calls.

6. Make Your Home Unattractive to Pests

• Clean your home thoroughly to help discourage new “residents” from moving in.
• Clean, defrost and unplug refrigerators and freezers, wiping them dry and leaving doors propped open to prevent mildew. Also clean the oven.
• Inspect your home for openings that animals could use to enter. For example, make sure your fireplace flue is closed, as bats, birds and squirrels are known to get inside this way.
• Check weather-stripping, insulation and exterior doors and windows to ensure no major deficiencies are present. Water and insects can enter through these openings.
• Chimneys should be inspected by a chimney service and, if necessary, cleaned to ensure that they are free from obstructions such as nesting birds. Install chimney guard screen-caps to help prevent any infestation.

7. Be Ready for Emergencies

• Notify the police department that the property will be vacant, and provide emergency notification numbers.
• Install smoke detectors on at least every floor (preferably tied to a constantly monitored fire alarm system so the fire department will automatically be notified in case of alarm), and confirm that the sensors and system are tested regularly.
• In higher wind-exposed or coastal areas, install storm shutters (or other mitigation measures, such as 5/8” marine plywood) to secure windows. Properly anchor personal property that will remain outdoors.
• Ask a trusted friend, neighbor or relative to keep an eye on your home and be available in emergency situations. Give them access to your home so they can regularly monitor heating, electrical and water systems.
• If the weather turns frigid, have them also check the roof for ice dams and inspect for leaks inside. Make sure they have your contact information and a list of local contractors they can reach if repairs or service are needed.
     
    

* Source: http://www.homeadvisor.com/article.show.How-Do-I-Winterize-a-Vacant-House.10834.html