Report: Deer-Vehicle Collisions and Damage Costs Increase

According to State Farm Insurance® claims data, vehicles in West Virginia lead the nation as most likely to collide with deer. Using its deer claims data from the last half of 2006 and the first half of 2007 and motor vehicle registration counts by state from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm estimates the chances of a West Virginia vehicle colliding with a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 57. Rouding out the top five in the report are Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Iowa.

Michigan is second on the list of states where deer-vehicle collisions are most frequent. The likelihood of a specific vehicle striking a deer there next year is 1 in 86. Wisconsin is third (1 in 99), while Pennsylvania (1 in 100), and Iowa (1 in 109) round out the top five.

The bottom half of the Top 10 consists of Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

State Farm's data shows the total number of deer-vehicle collisions in the United States has increased 6.3 percent from a year ago. State Farm policyholders were involved in 205,121 deer-related collisions between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007, compared with 192,877 during the 12 months prior to that.

The average property damage cost of these incidents was just under $2,900, up 3 percent from a year ago.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are approximately 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions annually in the United States, causing more than 150 fatalities and $1.1 billion in property damage.

These collisions are more frequent during the deer migration and mating seasons in October, November, and December. The combination of growing deer populations and the displacement of deer habitat caused by urban sprawl is producing increasingly hazardous conditions for motorists and deer.

Tips on how to reduce the chances of a deer-vehicle collision:

Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
Remember that deer are most active between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds – if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.
Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles. They don't work.
If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Source: State Farm

Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:35:38 PM.

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