YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- Deer mating season is here, which means deer are out looking for love.
"They're running around not thinking obviously about whether they're running across a road or anything," Fritzi Schreffler, a spokesperson for PennDOT, said.
Which is bad news for drivers.
"Pennsylvania drivers are the third most likely in the country to have a deer-related crash," Ron Ruman, the communications director for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, said.
According to Ruman, November is the month when drivers are most likely to have a deer-related crash. He wants people to be cautious, especially with Daylight Saving Time coming up this weekend.
Ruman said, "Deer are most active during the hours around dawn and dusk. And when we lose an hour this weekend, that's going to mean more people are on the road going to and from work around those hours."
According to PennDOT, there were about 4,000 deer-related crashes across the state last year and 12 deaths.
If there is a deer in the road, dead or alive, don't try to avoid it if you come across it at the last minute.
Schreffler said, "We want you to be aware of your surroundings. If a deer suddenly appears in front of you the biggest thing that you can do: Don't swerve and don't hit your brakes."
It could be worse if you do.
Schreffler said, "You've got to be aware of are there other cars around? Is there pedestrians? Is there trees, houses, something else that you're going to go off the road and hit. It's much better to actually hit the deer."
And officials said it's also better for your insurance premium if you hit it. If you swerve and hit something else, there could be an added surcharge.
Ruman said, "But, an accident where you come in contact with the deer is considered under Pennsylvania law a not-at-fault accident, and you cannot have a surcharge added to your premium because of it."
According to PennDOT, York County has the highest number of deer-related crashes in South Central Pennsylvania. They've had more than 600 crashes over a five-year period.