Whereas, Car-deer crashes are a year-round problem deserving motorists' attention by watching out for the nearly two million deer that inhabit the State of Michigan while on the roadways; and,

Whereas, On average in Michigan, there is a car-deer crash every nine minutes; and,

Whereas, In 2005, there were 58,777 car-deer crashes reported in our state, constituting a threat to the health and safety of the motoring public; and,

Whereas, Last year, 12 motorists were killed, and 1,676 injured as the result of car-deer crashes; and,

Whereas, Car-deer crashes are costly to Michigan drivers, averaging $2,000 per insurance claim and more than $130,000 million repair claims paid out statewide; and,

Whereas, The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working to keep the deer population within limits dictated by the carrying capacity of the range and by its effect on native plant communities, agriculture, horticulture, forest crops and public safety; and.

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 2007, as Michigan Car-Deer Crash Safety Awareness Month and I encourage all citizens to drive cautiously and be aware of the possibility of deer crossing the roadways.