NORTH CAROLINA -- Drivers, be on the lookout. Over the next month, deer will be out more than usual.

Fall means fewer daylight hours and cooler weather which signals white-tailed deer to enter breeding season.

NC State Highway Patrol officials offer the following tips when it comes to avoiding deer:

• When there is no oncoming traffic, use your high beams. These bright lights make deer's reflective eyes easier to spot.
• Wear your seatbelt. It is always important to wear your seatbelt, but it's especially important when it comes to high deer traffic times because in the case of a wreck, wearing your seatbelt could prevent the accident from becoming fatal.
• Reduce your speed. If you do come across a deer, try and reduce your speed and do not swerve! "If you are swerving you could run off the road, over-correct and overturn, you could swerve and hit someone head-on," Master Trooper Brandon Baker
• If you do collide with a deer the most important thing is your safety! Troopers say do not approach the deer, pull over to safety, and call 911 if you need assistance. "The main thing is to find a safe location to get stopped. You can call 911 and have law enforcement come out and look at your vehicle. In North Carolina if it's less than $1,000 worth of damage and no one is hurt, it's not a reportable crash," said Baker.