Oh Deer! PA Ranks Third In Deer Collisions

Lots of Pennsylvanians head to the woods in hopes of bringing home a deer this time of year. Whether the deer are trophies, dinner, or both, autumn and early winter are prime deer months.

But many Pennsylvanians end up finding deer in a much less intentional and much more costly way, according to State Farm Insurance's newest data.

According to the data, Pennsylvania ranks third in deer collisions among all 50 states and drivers in the state have a 1 in 67 chance of hitting a deer while driving. Last year, State Farm put that chance at 1 in 70, so PA motorists now have a 6 percent higher chance of hitting a deer this year than they did last year.

The state is full of windy, narrow, and poorly lit back roads and routes. With winter weather looming – which does not look great for PA – and the increase in deer activity, those travel routes can put you and your vehicle at risk.

Click on states in State Farm's interactive map below to see other state's deer collision risks:

Pennsylvania is ranked third under West Virginia, in which drivers have a 1 in 41 chance of hitting deer, and Montana, where drivers have a 1 in 58 chance of hitting deer. Iowa is close behind Pennsylvania with a 1 in 68 chance drivers will strike a deer. South Dakota rounds out the top five states with a 1 in 70 chance.

So with odds like that, knowing how to react after hitting a deer is imperative to staying safe and taking care of the issue quickly.

State Farm offers up several tips to take into account when dealing with a deer collision:

• Move your vehicle to a safe place: If you can move your vehicle, pull over to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights. This will help keep you and other drivers safe. If for any reason you needyo leave the vehicle, stay off the road and out of traffic's way.

• Call the police: Cops will make sure the area is safe for you and other drivers, so call them as soon as possible. A police report will also be helpful in your claim.

• Document the incident: Snap lots of photos. Get them of your vehicle, the road, the area around you, any injuries you or passengers may have sustained. Photos will substantially help your claim. Try to get witness accounts and contact information to help your claim, as well.

• Stay away from the animal: If the deer is still alive, it can cause serious injury with its hooves or antlers. The animal may also be ill. Avoid the deer at all costs.

• Contact your insurance agent: The faster you report the incident, the faster your claim can be processed.

• Don't assume your vehicle is safe to drive: Make sure your vehicle is able to drive after hitting a deer. Check for leaking fluid, loose parts, tire damage, broken lights, a hood that won't latch and other safety hazards. If you have any cause to think its unsafe to drive you vehicle, call a tow service.

These are all great things to know when dealing with a collision, but avoiding a collision is the best course of action, as State Farm says the average cost per claim is $3,995.08.

• Know the time of day: Dusk and dawn are the prime times for deer to be out in the road, according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife agencies. Those times also can limit visibility, with the sun being near the horizon causing glare and affecting vision.
• Don’t swerve: "You want to avoid the secondary collision," Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said. "And if you’re swerving suddenly, you’re increasing your risk by hitting another car or leaving the roadway." Instead, you should brake firmly when you see an animal in your path, but continue to stay in your lane
• Drive slowly: "The best advice is to heed deer warning signs and slow down in areas where deer are prevalent," Rader said. And if you see one, other deer are likely to be nearby. You can give your horn a short, firm blast to scare others in the area away.
• Use your brights (when there’s no oncoming traffic, of course): Not only will this help you see the road better, but it will help you detect deer more easily. "The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway," the Insurance Information Institute says.
• Don’t use special devices: Deer whistles and special reflectors for your car are marketed to scare deer away, but it’s more likely that they’re just another way to swindle some sucker out of five or 10 bucks. "These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions," the institute says.

Check out all of State Farm's deer collision data in their most recent report.

The State Farm study used the company’s insurance claim data from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and projected nationwide trends using data on state-licensed drivers.

Image via Andrew Malone, Flickr