Cost of Repairs Rising
Columbia, SC, Oct. 3, 2011 - For the third consecutive year, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. has dropped, but that is not the case in South Carolina. The likelihood of a deer-vehicle collision in the state of South Carolina is actually up by 1 percent over the past year. Approximately 1 in 140 drivers in the state could expect to see an encounter with deer. The projected overall number of collisions in the state over the past year is estimated at 23,337.
Using its claims data, State Farm®, the nation's leading auto insurer, estimates 1.09 million collisions between deer and vehicles* occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. That's 9 percent less than three years ago and 7 percent fewer than one year ago.
For the fifth 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 in conjunction with state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm calculates the chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 53, an improvement over a year ago when the odds were 1 in 42.
State Farm’s data shows that November, the heart of the deer migration and mating season, is the month during which deer-vehicle encounters are most likely. More than 18 percent of all such mishaps take place during the 30 days of November.
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 2010 and the first half of 2011 was $3,171, up 2.2 percent from the year before.
"State Farm has a long history of supporting auto safety," says State Farm spokesman Roszell Gadson. "While we can't put our finger directly on what’s causing a decline in deer-vehicle collisions, we'd like to think media attention to our annual report on this subject has had at least a little bit to do with it."
Here are tips on how to reduce the odds of a deer-vehicle collision involving your vehicle becoming part of the story we tell next year:
U.S. map showing likelihood of deer-vehicle collision by state
Chart listing likelihood of vehicle-deer collision by state
Contact Public Affairs in order to schedule media availabilities in your market.
Rozell Gadson, State Farm Corporate Public Affairs, (770) 418-5940.
Bruce White, State Farm Corporate Public Affairs, (803) 935-3714.
State Farm is the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
