AUGUSTA (AP) – November may be deer hunting season, but it is also the time of year when vehicle collisions with deer are on the rise, officials say.

The combination of early darkness and a deer population looking to mate and avoid hunters results in a spike in the number of collisions, said Col. Craig Poulin of the Maine State Police.

“You have deer hunting (for) themselves, and they’re being hunted,” said Col. Craig Poulin of the Maine State Police. “You also have more dark hours during your prime driving time.”

Statewide data show that from 1999-2001, two motorists were killed and 519 injured in more than 12,000 automobile-deer accidents in Maine. The accidents caused more than $47 million in damage, according to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Nationwide, a record 210 motorists were killed in collisions with animals, mostly deer. That was 40 more than the previous year and more than twice the number in 1993, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Officials said they do not know if this November has been marred by as many accidents as in the past, but employees at auto body shops said the number of motorists seeking repairs for “deer hits” this season is either down or in line with previous years.

Cars that hit deer typically need new headlights, grills, cooling systems and windows, said Mike Dostie, body shop manager at Caron’s Collision Repair Center in Augusta.

Dostie had six cars in for repairs last week because of deer accidents, which is about on pace with previous years.

Poulin said the best way for drivers to avoid deer collisions is to slow down and drive according to weather and traffic conditions. It’s also important to not swerve off the road or into oncoming traffic while trying to avoid deer, because that’s just as likely to cause injuries as hitting the animal, he said.

“If you have to make that split-second decision, don’t hit the tree ledge or another car head-on,” Poulin said. “If all else fails, hit the animal.”

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife further suggests that motorists take note whenever they see a deer near the road, because others will likely be nearby.

Peak times for automobile-deer collisions are dusk to midnight and 5-7 a.m., said Mark Latti, spokesman for the department.