Michigan · Handbook chapter 10 · 4 min read

Chapter 10: Crashes, deer and roadside emergencies

What Michigan drivers must do after a crash, moving vehicles off the road, when to call police, avoiding and handling deer crashes, staying safe in a disabled car, personal security and being pulled over.

Why this chapter matters

Michigan has about 60,000 vehicle-deer crashes a year, and roadside emergencies account for a real share of pedestrian deaths. Knowing what the law requires after a crash, and how to stay safe when your car stops, protects both you and others.

If you are in a crash

• Do not leave the scene. Leaving is a crime punishable by fines, jail or both, with heavier penalties if alcohol, injuries or deaths are involved. Failing to stop and identify yourself carries 6 points.
• Get medical help for anyone hurt.
• If no one is seriously hurt or killed, and the car can be driven safely, a licensed driver or passenger must move it off the main road to a safe place such as the shoulder, median or a nearby parking lot.
• Exchange names, addresses, license numbers, registration and insurance information with the other drivers.
• Notify police if anyone is injured or property damage is more than $1,000.
• If you stop to help at someone else's crash, park safely away from it.

Deer

About 60,000 vehicle-deer crashes happen each year in Michigan, and many more go unreported. The average one causes about $2,100 in damage.

Avoiding deer

• Be most alert in fall and spring, and at dawn and dusk, though crashes happen year-round.
• Watch for deer crossing signs.
• If you see one deer, slow down: others are probably nearby.
• Deer whistles, flashing high beams and honking do not keep deer away.
• Stay alert, sober and buckled up.

If a deer crash cannot be avoided

• Do not swerve. Stay in your lane.
• Brake firmly, hold the wheel with both hands and come to a controlled stop.
• Then steer well off the road.
• Report the crash to local police, the sheriff, the Michigan State Police or the Department of Natural Resources. They can give you a permit to keep the deer.

If your car breaks down

• Pull as far off the road as you can and turn on your hazard flashers.
• Stay in the car with your seat belt on until help arrives. About 10 percent of pedestrian traffic deaths from 2014 to 2018 involved a roadside emergency.
• Let a trained professional handle the disabled vehicle.
• If you must get out, watch traffic and go straight to a safe spot far from the road. Walking on a freeway is dangerous and illegal.
• On a freeway, never stop except in an emergency, and get completely off the pavement.

Personal security

• Keep doors and windows locked while driving, and keep enough fuel for the trip.
• Tell someone your route and arrival time.
• Never leave keys in the car, and have your keys ready when returning. Check the back seat before getting in.
• Do not hitchhike or pick up hitchhikers.
• If a flat tire leaves you in an unsafe area, drive slowly to a well-lit station or store instead of getting out.
• If someone suspicious approaches, drive away or sound the horn, and stay inside the locked car. Calling for help on your phone is allowed.
• If a carjacker demands your car, give it up. Your safety matters more.

If police pull you over

• Pull off to the right as soon as it is safe and stop.
• Stay in the car with your seat belt on, open your window, and turn on the interior light after dark.
• Keep both hands empty and visible on the wheel, and ask passengers to do the same.
• Get out your license, registration and insurance only when asked, and say where they are first.
• Do not argue about the stop. Raise any complaint with the officer's supervisor, and contest a ticket in court.
• An officer's directions take priority over signs and signals.
• Before pulling away, buckle up, check traffic and signal.