THE AA is warning motorists that the darker November nights carry increased danger of hitting animals such as deer, with serious consequences to drivers and passengers.

Andrew Howard, AA head of road safety policy, said: 'The largest type of deer in this country, the red deer, can weigh up to 30 stone, the equivalent of a motorbike.

Hitting any type of deer can badly damage or write off a car. If an animal is swept up on to the bonnet and through the windscreen, it can seriously injure or even kill the occupants.'

The animal death toll on Britain's roads is staggering. The Mammal Society estimates that 40,000 deer, 100,000 foxes, 50,000 badgers and hundreds of thousands of hedgedogs are killed annually.