State Farm: Top 5 States for Deer Collision Claims

In many U.S. states, drivers are all too familiar with deer crossing signs, but do they really know how close the danger may be? State Farm has released its annual deer claim study, which ranks states by the potential drivers had of hitting a large animal, including deer, elk and moose over a given time period. On average, one of every 41 West Virginia drivers will have an insurance claim for damage caused by a collision with a deer in 2016.

The national average cost per claim for 2015-2016 was $3,995.08, down just slightly from $4,135 in 2014-2015.

The top five states a driver was most likely to have a claim from a collision with a deer, elk or moose in the 2015-2016 study are:

Pennsylvania and Iowa have switched positions on the top ten list of states where drivers were more likely to collide with a deer, while Wyoming moved into the top ten at number eight. South Carolina is no longer in the top ten and thirteen states had no change in ranking.

The likelihood of colliding with a large animal more than doubles during the months of October, November and December, during deer mating season.

“We know there is an increased risk of collision with deer around dawn and dusk, and also during the October-December breeding season,” said Chris Mullen, Director of Technology Research at State Farm. “However, drivers should be engaged, alert and on the lookout at all times, because you never know when you may need to react to a deer or any other obstacle that may suddenly be in your path.”

The months when most drivers experienced collisions with a deer, elk or moose in the U.S., mostly due to deer mating season, were October, November and December.

Source: State Farm