Here Are The Odds Of Hitting A Deer In FL This Season

Spotting deer on Florida roads isn't too common. However, the odds increase from October through December when mating season is in full swing and the animals are more active and more likely to dart into the road, increasing the risk of a costly and potentially deadly collision.

State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, said industrywide casualty claims put the odds of hitting a deer or other animal at 1 in 575 in Florida. The state ranks 46th in animal-involved collisions for 2025, according to State Farm, which means drivers are at lower risk than those in other areas of the country.

The annual analysis by State Farm places the nationwide odds of hitting an animal at 1 in 139. Drivers in West Virginia (1 in 40), Montana (1 in 53), Wisconsin (1 in 59), Michigan (1 in 61) and Pennsylvania (1 in 62) have the highest risk of being involved in an animal collision.

State Farm estimated that more than 1.7 million claims involving vehicle-animal collisions were filed across the insurance industry from July 2024 through June 2025. Deer was the top animal struck, followed by rodents, dogs, raccoons and cattle.

While most deer strikes do not result in serious injury to drivers, in the 10 years from 2014-2023, more than 1,900 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving animals, according to AAA.

“Deer have become much more noticeable along roadways and residential streets, leading to an increase in deer strikes,” said Ragina Ali, spokeswoman for AAA. “With that in mind, AAA is urging drivers to drive defensively and remain alert behind the wheel, especially at dawn and dusk, when deer are most active.”

Here are some tips from AAA to avoid a collision:

• Keep your eyes moving back and forth: Continuously sweep your eyes across the road for signs of animals. While the most likely accident is caused by an animal darting in front of you, one might also run into the side of your car.
• Be especially attentive in early morning and evening: Many animals, especially deer, are most active during prime commuting hours – roughly 5-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m.
• Know when deer may be near: Reduce speed and be alert near wooded areas or green spaces such as parks or golf courses, and near water such as streams or ponds. Deer crossing signs indicate where high levels of deer/vehicle crashes have occurred in the past.
• At night, use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic: Your bright lights can help you spot animals sooner. The light reflecting off their eyes may also reveal their location.
• Watch for other deer to appear: Deer rarely travel alone, so if you see one, there are likely to be one or more nearby.
• Honk your horn with one long blast: A long blast on your horn may frighten large animals, such as deer, away from your vehicle. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) advises against relying on devices such as deer whistles and reflectors, which have not been proven to reduce collisions with animals.
• Don’t veer for deer: If an animal is in your path, stay in your lane. Swerving away from animals can confuse them, so they don’t know which way to run. It can also put you in the path of oncoming vehicles or cause you to crash into objects on the side of the road.
• Always wear a seatbelt: According to the Insurance Information Institute, the chances of getting injured when hitting an animal are much higher if you don’t have your seatbelt on.