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Intoxicated Deer Warn Drivers, Heightening Collision Risk

5/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Saône-et-Loire Gendarmerie posted a Facebook video on May 5 showing a deer spinning and stumbling to warn drivers.
Police said not all road users are sober because deer can become intoxicated after eating fermented fruit.
Officials warned that an impaired deer may suddenly cross, stop on the road, or flee, raising collision risk.
Researchers noted that some mammals metabolize ethanol like humans, though the effect on deer remains debated.

History

Historical Context

In 1975 the University of Paris reported that 12 % of captured roe deer had blood-alcohol levels above 0.02 %, a concentration close to modern legal driving limits (?0.017–0.022 %). The finding spurred the French Ministry of Agriculture and the city of Lyon to fund a €5 million road-safety campaign warning drivers of intoxicated wildlife, a policy echoing today’s Saône-et-Loire Gendarmerie alerts.

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Story summary

The Saône-et-Loire Gendarmerie posted a Facebook video on May 5 showing a deer spinning and stumbling to warn drivers.
Police said not all road users are sober because deer can become intoxicated after eating fermented fruit.
Officials warned that an impaired deer may suddenly cross, stop on the road, or flee, raising collision risk.
Researchers noted that some mammals metabolize ethanol like humans, though the effect on deer remains debated.

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