Virginia in Top 10 for Vehicles Striking Deer

The likelihood of a vehicle collision with deer has decreased since 2014 in Virginia, according to new claims data from State Farm.

In 2015, Virginia has the 10th highest rate in the nation and a 1-97 chance of drivers likely to hit a deer. This is a 9.3 percent decrease from 2014, when Virginia ranked 9th highest with a 1-88 chance of striking a deer.

In 2013, the most Virginia deer-vehicle crashes occurred in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, which reported 360 and 259 crashes respectively. Fairfax county had 115 such crashes in 2013, according to data from Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and AAA.

The report urged drivers to be extra cautious in October, November, and December, the months these incidents are more likely to occur due to mating and hunting seasons.

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, deer are most active this time of year because fall is their mating season.

“Periods of daily high-deer movement around dawn and dusk as well as seasonal behavior patterns, such as during the October-December breeding season, increase the risk for auto-deer collisions,” said Ron Regan, executive director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “Changes in collision rates from year to year are a reflection of changing deer densities or population levels – more deer in a given area increases the potential for collision. Deer populations are also affected by conditions such as new or improved roads with higher speeds near deer habitat, winter conditions, and other related factors.”

State Farm, which uses claim data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, calculated the chances of any single American motorist striking a deer, elk or moose during the time frame of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers some safety tips:

These tips could help drivers avoid a collision:

· Use extra caution in known deer zones

· At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams

· Avoid swerving when you see a deer

· Scan the road for deer and other danger signs

· Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles

And here are some deer facts that all drivers should know:

· Deer are on all roads

· Deer are unpredictable

· Deer often move in groups

· Deer movement is most prevalent in the fall

· The hours between dusk and dawn are high risk times

Photo, courtesy of State Farm Learning Center.