Keeping ‘Deer’ ones safe during Thanksgiving

As families prepare to head over the river and through the woods to reach their Thanksgiving feasts, both the nation’s largest insurer and auto club encourage drivers to be cautious of deer clattering across roadways. November is typically the peak month for crashes because it is the heart of the deer migration and mating season.

Using claims data, State Farm Auto Insurance estimates 1.09 million collisions between deer and vehicles* occurred in the U.S. between July 2010 and June 2011. The property damage cost of these incidents averaged $3,171, up 2.2 percent from the year before.

Data also indicates more than 18 percent of those mishaps happen in that one month, with October and December statistics trailing close behind. In fact, deer-vehicle collisions are three times more likely in November than between February and September.

AAA reports the number of crashes involving deer has climbed in recent years due to higher deer populations, increased traffic volume and the habitat reduction due to urban sprawl. However, State Farm says the number of deer-vehicle collisions nationwide decreased 7% in the past year.

Between July 2010 and June 2011, State Farm estimates there were 8,400 deer-vehicle collisions in the Bayou State. While Louisiana is a largely rural state with long stretches of highway that wind through woods and farmlands, it ranked only 36th in the likelihood of those crashes.

For the fifth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list. The chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer are about one in 53. By contrast, State Farm says the odds of a Hawaiian driver colliding with a deer are approximately equal to those of the driver being a practicing nudist—about one in 13,011.

To reduce the risk of collisions, State Farm and AAA offer the following safety suggestions:

• Be aware of posted deer crossing signs, which are placed in areas of known to be have high deer activity.

• Remember deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m. and most crashes occur between dusk and dawn.

• Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate areas in which deer are likely to enter roadways.

• Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds. If you see one, there is a good chance others are nearby and will follow.

• Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.

• If a collision is inevitable, do not swerve to avoid the deer. It’s better to strike the deer than swerve into traffic or hit a fixed object, like a sign.

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