At the time of year when deer and vehicle collisions hit a peak, there’s been an annual increase in the number of deer-related accidents as well.
The number of deer-related collisions in the U.S. increased by 7.7 percent over the last year, according to State Farm Insurance.
This jump comes after a three year period during which these collisions dropped 2.2 percent.
State Farm estimates 1.23 million collisions caused by the presence of deer occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
Over the last four years, the number of deer-related claims paid by the nation’s leading auto insurer has increased 7.9 percent while other similar auto claims have declined 8.5 percent.
“We have known for quite a while that the frequency of auto insurance claims has been declining,” Chris Mullen, State Farm’s Director of Technology Research, said in a statement. “But whatever is causing that trend is obviously not impacting deer-related crashes.”
For the sixth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to run into a deer. Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm put the chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 40, compared with 1 in 48 the year before.
South Dakota moved from third to second on the list. The likelihood of a licensed driver in that state hitting a deer within the next year is 1 in 68. Iowa (1 in 71.9) drops from second to third. Michigan (1 in 72.4) is a close fourth jumping one position from fifth. Pennsylvania (1 in 76) drops one spot to fifth. In each of the top five states the rate of deer-related collisions per driver went up from a year ago.
The state in which deer-vehicle mishaps are least likely is still Hawaii (1 in 6,801). The odds of a driver in Hawaii colliding with a deer between now and 12 months from now are approximately equal to the odds that any one person will be struck by lightning during his or her lifetime.
Deer-vehicle collisions are three times more likely to occur on a day in November than they are on any day between February 1st and August 31st. October is the second most likely month for a crash involving a deer and a vehicle. December is third.
The average property damage cost of these incidents during the final half of 2011 and the first half of 2012 was $3,305, up 4.4 percent from the year before.
An increase in urban sprawl and more roads being built through wildlife habitats have displaced deer from their natural habitat, leading to a rise in deer-vehicle collisions, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
“Drivers should stay alert and pay particular attention to the sides of the road, especially during the hours just before dusk and just before daylight,” Loretta Worters, vice president of the I.I.I., said in a statement. “Fortunately, there are steps you can take to decrease the likelihood of being involved in a deer-vehicle collision.”
Damage caused by an accident with deer or other animals is covered under the optional comprehensive portion (not the collision portion) of an automobile insurance policy, the I.I.I reports.
Comprehensive auto insurance includes coverage for: fire, theft, vandalism or malicious damage, riot, flood, earthquake or explosion, hail, windstorm, falling or flying objects, damage due to contact with a bird or animal and sometimes, depending on the policy, windshield damage.
The I.I.I. offers these tips on how to reduce the odds of a deer-vehicle confrontation:
• Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds – if there’s one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.
• Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
• Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.
• Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
• If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle or place them in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
• Don’t rely on car-mounted deer whistles.
For an in-depth look at this issue, see our story “To avoid deer collisions, stay alert and know how to react.”
