With the clocks having been turned back last weekend, commuters in Helensburgh and Lomond are being advised to look out for deer crossing local trunk roads.

The deer rutting season is at its peak, and Scotland TranServ has identified the A82 between Renton and Alexandria, and also between Dalnottar and Dumbarton, as potential hotspots for deer strikes.

It is estimated that in Scotland there could be as many as 9,000 collisions per year, resulting in anywhere between 50 and 100 human injuries, with the total cost of material damage and injury thought to be around a STAG-gering £9.5m.

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Isla Davidson, Scotland TranServ’s Senior Environmental Specialist, said: “Deer are often more mobile at two particular times each year – in May and June young deer disperse from breeding grounds to search for new territory of their own.

“Meanwhile, October and November is the rutting season for the larger deer species when adult males challenge each other for breeding rights.

“Deer are particularly active around sunrise and sunset which, at this time of year, coincides with the peak commuter time when there are likely to be more vehicles on the road.

“Their darker winter coats make deer particularly difficult to spot, so please be extra vigilant as they can appear without warning out of the fields and woodland that border much of the region’s road network.”

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