Georgia Car-Deer Crash Risk Doubles As Mating Season Starts

ATLANTA, GA — More drivers are hitting deer and other large animals on Georgia roadways. It's part of a national trend, and the odds more than double from October through December, when the deer mating season is under way. The cost of a crash between a deer and a deer can be deadly, along with hefty insurance claims.

An estimated 1 in every 122 drivers in Georgia struck a large animal between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017, according to an annual State Farm study. Last year, the insurance company paid more than 50,000 deer claims in Georgia. Drivers in West Virginia, Montana or Pennsylvania are the most likely to collide with a deer on roads and highways.

Georgia drivers ranked in the No. 18 slot this year for the odds of a crash with a deer. See the full list of states below. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

The annual State Farm deer claim study helps define that danger for drivers. It ranks states by the potential likelihood a driver has of hitting a large animal, like deer, elk, moose or caribou. These wrecks typically end with an animal carcass and heavy damage to a vehicle. That damage costs a lot of money — likely the reason insurance companies blitz the airwaves with warnings about deer strikes this time of year.

The fall mating season more than doubles the likelihood of collision with a large animal. Whether you hit a large animal, or it jumps into the side of your vehicle, such collisions can cause significant injuries and property damage.

Some tips to help keep drivers safe include:

• Slow down, particularly at dusk and dawn.
• If you see one deer, be prepared for more deer to cross the road.
• Pay attention to deer crossing signs.
• Always buckle up - every trip, every time.
• Use your high beams to see farther, except when there is oncoming traffic.
• Brake if you can, but avoid swerving. This can result in a more severe crash.
• Remain focused on the road. Scan for hazards, including animals.
• Avoid distractions. Devices or eating might cause you to miss seeing an animal.
• If riding a motorcycle, always wear protective gear. Keep focus on the road ahead.

For drivers this time of year, here are 5 tips from wildlife experts:

1. When driving, particularly at night (from dusk to dawn) slow down and be attentive. If you see one deer, likely there will be others. If one deer crosses the road as you approach, others may follow.
2. Use caution when you see deer crossing signs; deer habitually travel the same areas.
3. Drivers should apply brakes, even stop if necessary, to avoid hitting a deer, but never swerve out of the lane to miss a deer. A collision with another vehicle, tree or other object is likely to be more serious than hitting a deer.
4. Rely on your caution and your own senses, not deer whistles you can buy for your car. These devices have not been shown to be effective.
5. Any person involved in a collision with a deer or bear while driving a motor vehicle, thereby killing the animal, should immediately report the accident to a law enforcement officer in the county or city where the accident occurred.

Image via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain; state ranking of deer collisions courtesy of State Farm