Bloomington, Illinois, October 17, 2006 -- Cars colliding with deer on America’s roads continues to be a dangerous and costly problem. An estimated 10,000 more collisions occurred this year. To make matters worse for drivers, collision repair costs are also on the rise.
The most recent State Farm claims data shows that deer-related vehicle collisions have risen almost 6% from the last deer season. State Farm policy holders were involved in 192,877 deer-related collisions compared to 182,458 from the previous year, based on estimated submitted claims. From July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 average property damage cost was $2800, up $300 from the previous year.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety there are an estimated 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 become more frequent during the fall and winter due to the deer migration and mating season. This season usually occurs from October through December. Coupled with the facts that deer populations are growing and deer habitat is being displaced by urban sprawl makes for a deadly combination for both deer and motorists.
Certain states experience more collisions with deer than others. According to State Farm’s annual claim statistics, the states with the highest number of accidents involving deer between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006 were:
The top ten ranked deer collision states account for 51% of all deer collision claims filed by State Farm policy holders. Drivers in these states, and all others, can avoid becoming involved in one of these costly and potentially deadly deer-vehicle collisions that take place across the United States each year by taking a number of precautions.
There are a number of precautions motorists can take to help prevent accidents with deer. Drivers wishing to avoid vehicle-deer collisions should:
“While research has revealed several innovative ways to deter deer from entering the roadways and alerting drivers to the dangers of deer in the area, there will always remain a constant danger of deer-vehicle collisions,” said Melissa Miles, senior research analyst for State Farm . “Undoubtedly, the best way to avoid deer-vehicle collisions is through attentive driving behavior.”
These simple steps can help motorists avoid becoming involved in deer-vehicle collisions. For more automotive safety tips and information about State Farm, visit the News and Events Center at www.statefarm.com.
About State Farm
State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 74 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.8 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No.22 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.