Maaco Offers Tips on Avoiding Animal Collisions

Collision Franchise company gives advice to residents during peak
time of year for deer, elk and other large animal collisions
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(Business Wire)--Close to 50 percent of deer crashes consistently occur during the
winter season, according to the Mid-America Regional Council - and
it's not just deer that cause accidents. Areas with rapid residential
growth and new commercial developments also force other animals to
walk along highways and local streets to seek new homes.

"A vehicle's contact with a large animal can not only cause
serious injury to the driver, it also has the potential of costing
that driver thousands of dollars to repair the damage. As a public
service, Maaco is offering advice on how to deal with animal
collisions," says David Lapps, vice president of operations for Maaco
Collision Repair & Auto Painting.

The national chain offers the following tips to help motorists
deal with animals on the road and avoid collisions:

-- First things first - buckle up. Wearing your safety belt is
the most important thing you can do when driving your vehicle.

-- "Deer Crossing" signs are put up for a reason. It's vital to
reduce your vehicle's speed and equally important to be extra
alert when driving on roads where these signs are posted.

-- Dawn and dusk are prime times for animal movement, especially
deer.

-- If you see a large animal crossing the road, it's likely there
are more in the area.

-- Be sure to drive at an appropriate speed at all times, but
especially during rain and snow. Precipitation can have a
significant impact on how fast you will be able to stop your
vehicle when approaching an animal.

Each year, roughly 200 people are killed, more than 15,000 injured
and 300,000 vehicles damaged from collisions with wildlife and
domestic animals, according to federal safety data.

The average cost of a deer collision is $8,000, including repair,
towing and cleaning up the carcass, while hitting an elk averages
$17,000, according to Western Transportation Institute researchers.

Maaco repairs and paints close to 750,000 vehicles each year.
Since 1972, more than 17 million vehicles have been repaired by Maaco.

For more information, visit www.maaco.com.

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Maaco
Bill Silverman, 610-265-6606
Manager of Corporate Communications

Copyright Business Wire 2008