For the third year in a row, U.S. motorists have hit fewer deer than the year prior. While the numbers have been decreasing, a shocking number of deer collisions, roughly 1.09 million, still occur. There are over 6 million auto accidents in the U.S. every year, a surprising number of which involve deer.
Most/Least Likely
West Virginians, driving on country roads that take them home, are most likely to run in to a deer. Getting to a place where they belong, residents of the mountainous state run a 1 in 53 chance, down from 1 in 42 the previous year, of colliding with the docile animals.
Other states with high deer collision rates include: Michigan, Iowa, Montana, South and North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Wyoming.
If you fear the deer, there’s once place in the U.S. that’s virtually venison-free: Hawaii. The Aloha state, in addition to boasting beautiful nature, a vast pineapple industry, nori-wrapped spam sandwiches, giddy honeymooners, and pleasant Japanese tourists, is the least likely place you’ll encounter the blunt end of a deer. There’s only a 1 in 6,267 chance of such a collision occurring.
Deer Get Busy In The Fall
State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurance provider, says November is the heart of migration and deer mating season. You’re three times more likely to crash into a deer during their friskiest month, than from February 1st to the end of August. October and December are the second and third most likely months.
State Farm estimates property damage of these collisions to average $3,171, meaning roughly 3.5 billion dollars in claims were settled last year. Not surprisingly, State Farm is offering tips on reducing deer collisions.
Source: State Farm
