How likely are you to have an animal collision?
What can you do to try to avoid hitting deer and other animals when driving on highways and roads?
As night begins to fall and visibility becomes more difficult, two deer leap onto the busy road. It's not an uncommon sight for many drivers, especially in October through December. New data shows U.S. drivers on the average have a 1 in 115 chance of a collision with an animal, according to the State Farm® annual analysis. The company estimates there were over 1.9 million animal collision insurance claims in the U.S. between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 (117, 200 less claims than in the previous 12-month period observed).
Where are animal collisions most likely?
West Virginia continues to top the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to hit an animal, with a likelihood of 1 in 35.
Montana (1 in 44 chance of a crash), South Dakota (1 in 51 chance), Michigan (1 in 51 chance of a crash) and Wisconsin (1 in 54) are at the top of the list. Rounding out the top 10 states where drivers are most likely to collide with an animal are Pennsylvania, Iowa, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wyoming. The months drivers are most likely to collide with a large animal in the U.S. are (in order) November, October and December.