Vehicle-Deer Collisions Increase October thru December

By Jill Manuel Deer migration and mating season, along with the end of Daylight Savings Time combine this time of year to create a dangerous situation for drivers. An estimated 1. million such collisions occurred in the !.S. between July 1, "1 and June #", "1# according to State $arm %nsurance, who &ublishes an annual study on deer'vehicle collisions. $or the seventh year in a row, (est )irginia, where there is a 1 in *" chance of hitting a deer, is the +o.1 ran,ed state in the country for a deer'vehicle collision. -The %nsurance %nstitute for .ighway Safety noted that deer'vehicle collisions in the !.S. cause about "" fatalities annually,/ said 0oretta (orters, vice &resident of the %nsurance %nformation %nstitute. -$urthermore, in a recent study of fatal animal crashes, the %nsurance %nstitute for .ighway Safety re&orted that 1" &ercent of &eo&le ,illed were not wearing a seatbelt./ (hile the number of collisions has slightly decreased over the years, the cost of re&airs as a result has increased. The average cost of re&air is more than 2#,*"", a #.# &ercent increase from the &revious year. 3elsey Byard, #, of (inchester, )a., ,nows all too well about the cost of re&air incurred from a deer'vehicle collision. -Damages were estimated to be around 2*,4"". My car was only worth about 21, ""./ -The rise in average claim for deer'vehicle collisions may &artly be due to rising
re&air costs,/ (orters said. According to a "1# 5arMD )ehicle .ealth %nde6 the average auto re&air cost rose 1" &ercent, re&lacement &art &rices went u& 1 &ercent, and labor charges rose 17 &ercent.

Some insurance com&anies will as, for &roof of the collision. %n the case of Susan Shannon, *", of 8ermantown, Tenn., evidence of deer found in the grill of her car was sufficient. -A buc, tried to 9um& over my car. % was coming bac, on a rainy, miserable night after dro&&ing my daughter off for a school event. %t totaled the front of my car,/ Shannon said. -(hen we went bac, for my car, the deer was gone, but when they removed the hood with a crowbar there was deer meat inside. The insurance com&any wanted &roof, % guess that was enough. %t was gross./

The %nsurance %nformation %nstitute encourages motorist to &ay &articular attention while driving in areas with deer'crossing :ones, areas that are ,nown to have a large deer &o&ulation and where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. .igh beam headlights will illuminate the eyes of deer along the roadway, and caution should be used when driving after dar, and before sunrise. Drivers should wear seatbelts and should a collision occur, try to stay in their own lane, contact the authorities if necessary and your insurance com&any immediately. -Drivers should remember that fall is &ea, season for deer and auto collisions,/ (orter: said. -More deer'vehicle collisions occur in this &eriod than at any
other time of year./