Worst states for deer collisions
West Virginia leads the nation as the state where you are most likely to hit a deer, according to a claims analysis by State Farm. Montana, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Wisconsin rank, respectively, behind the Mountain State as the worst states for deer collisions.
The chances of hitting a deer while driving incrased a bit compared to last year, and the claims cost for deer collisions jumped by $184. The average deer strike car insurance claim is $4,179, compared to $3,995 for 2016, according to State Farm.
Odds of a deer collision are 1 out of 162, but that likelihood doubles during deer season, from October to December. Last year the national average for hitting a deer, elk or moose was 1 in 164. In West Virginia, the odds are 1 in 43, down nearly three percent from 2016, State Farm says. Here is the likelihood of collision with a deer by state for 2017, according to State Farn:
| State | Rank | 2016 - likelihood of deer collision | % more or less likely compared to last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEST VIRGINIA | 1 | 1 in 43 | 2.6% less |
| MONTANA | 2 | 1 in 57 | .8% more |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 3 | 1 in 63 | 5.2% more |
| IOWA | 4 | 1 in 69 | 1.3% less |
| WISCONSIN | 5 | 1 in 72 | 6% more |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | 6 | 1 in 73 | 4.6% less |
| MINNESOTA | 7 | 1 in 74 | 8.1% more |
| WYOMING | 8 | 1 in 79 | 6.6% more |
| MICHIGAN | 9 | 1 in 85 | .1% more |
| NORTH DAKOTA | 10 | 1 in 87 | 5.6$ more |
| VIRGINIA | 11 | 1 in 94 | .1% less |
| MISSISSIPPI | 12 | 1 in 95 | 8.3% less |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 12 | 1 in 95 | 2.1% less |
| ARKANSAS | 14 | 1 in 97 | 1.2% less |
| KENTUCKY | 15 | 1 in 100 | 3.5% more |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 16 | 1 in 109 | 5.5% more |
| MISSOURI | 17 | 1 in 112 | 4.4% more |
| GEORGIA | 18 | 1 in 122 | 3.5% more |
| KANSAS | 19 | 1 in 127 | 1.3% less |
| MAINE | 19 | 1 in 127 | 9% more |
| MARYLAND | 19 | 1 in 127 | 9.6% more |
| OHIO | 22 | 1 in 128 | 1.6% less |
| ALABAMA | 23 | 1 in 131 | 2.9% more |
| DELAWARE | 24 | 1 in 132 | 12.5% more |
| NEBRASKA | 25 | 1 in 134 | 1.5% less |
| TENNESSEE | 26 | 1 in 143 | 2.8% more |
| INDIANA | 27 | 1 in 145 | 6.3% less |
| VERMONT | 28 | 1 in 150 | 16.5% more |
| IDAHO | 29 | 1 in 151 | 2.9% less |
| NEW YORK | 30 | 1 in 161 | .3% less |
| OKLAHOMA | 31 | 1 in 194 | .4% more |
| ILLINOIS | 32 | 1 in 204 | 6.1% less |
| UTAH | 33 | 1 in 222 | 32.6% less |
| NEW JERSEY | 34 | 1 in 229 | 9.4% more |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | 35 | 1 in 252 | 7.3% less |
| COLORADO | 36 | 1 in 253 | 4% more |
| OREGON | 37 | 1 in 254 | 5.8% less |
| TEXAS | 38 | 1 in 269 | 7.1% more |
| RHODE ISLAND | 39 | 1 in 280 | 23.6% more |
| CONNECTICUT | 40 | 1 in 304 | 2.9% more |
| LOUISIANA | 41 | 1 in 332 | 9.7% less |
| WASHINGTON | 42 | 1 in 356 | 13.9% less |
| NEW MEXICO | 43 | 1 in 397 | 19.6% more |
| ALASKA | 44 | 1 in 407 | 15% more |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 45 | 1 in 593 | 7.1% more |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 46 | 1 in 713 | 3.3% less |
| FLORIDA | 47 | 1 in 847 | 6.7% more |
| NEVADA | 48 | 1 in 966 | 5.3% more |
| ARIZONA | 49 | 1 in 973 | 20.8% more |
| CALIFORNIA | 50 | 1 in 1,117 | 4.7% less |
| HAWAII | 51 | 1 in 6,823 | 177.8% more |
Drivers in deer-dense states should carry comprehensive insurance
Damage from deer collisions is covered by comprehensive insurance, which is optional coverage. It also covers theft, vandalism, hail, fire and other incidents largely beyond your control. Comprehensive claims don't generally raise your rates unless you have recently filed additional claims, says Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for CarInsurance.com. However, it will only pay out up to the actual cash value of your car, and you will have to pay the deductible, so be sure claim amount is higher than your deductible.
If you swerve to miss a deer and are successful but crash, say you hit a tree or guardrail, that damage is covered by collision insurance, says Gusner. If your vehicle doesn't make contact with the animal the damage is considered a collision claim because you hit another car or object (or rolled your vehicle).
Comprehensive and collision coverage typically won’t bust your budget, as the average cost is fairly affordable. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III) the average annual rate for collision is $488, for comprehensive it’s $172. Even if you have an old car, if you drive in areas with a high deer population (or elk, moose or other large animals that may cross roads), it's wise not to drop comprehensive and collision coverages.
I suggest drivers get UV lights for their car.s. Deer see it like because it blazes orange to them.
Reply»Have any states developed solutions that have reduced the number of deer-car accidents on their roads?
Reply»Could parks and wildlife get the deer to go where I hunt? Ha!
Reply»Just looking at the stats. it appears that Southern states that allow dog/deer hunting have a higher risk of car/deer collisions. Is that true?
Reply»While driving with headlights on high beams is okay, it is also one of the primary reason there are deer-car collisions. High beams, like spotlights, tend to blind deer when deer are blinded, they freeze. When the driver switches to low beam, or the road has a curve, or grade change, the dear is no longer 'blind' and tends to bolt. The vast majority of the time, it will bolt in the direction it is facing which is right into the roadway. Conduct a study and you will find that most drivers will go from high beam to low beam, or swerve slightly when they see a deer on the side of the road.
Reply»Considering the number of casualties shown in the table, it is a wonder that the stupid deer have not learned to avoid traffic. Quite a few years ago, in upstate NY, on a rainy night, I hit a deer. Luckily, the damage was only $3,400. I don't know if the deer survived; it disappeared.
Reply»I have hit two deer since 2007. One with a Prius in '07 had 5,000 miles on it and damage cost $3,200. Then another one with my 2008 tundra in 2009, damage minimal to truck. Deer damage --well that's a different story, it died.
Reply»If the deer would pay attention to those signs they would be better off.
Reply»