New data released from State Farm pegs the odds of U.S. drivers hitting an animal at 1 in 127 this year. Drivers in West Virginia held on to the number one spot with the least favorable odds at 1 in 38. Montana (1 in 53), Pennsylvania (1 in 59), Michigan (1 in 60) and Wisconsin (1 in 60) round out the top five most likely states to hit an animal while on the road. A complete list and ranking can be found online: New State Farm® data reveals the likelihood of hitting an animal while driving in every state.
South Dakota, ranked #3 in 2021-2022 fell five places to #8 in 2022-2023. A South Dakota driver has a 1 in 69 chance of being involved in an animal collision. This accounted for 9,750 animal claims.
North Dakota falls from #9 in 2021-2022 to the #12 spot this past year with a 1 in 82 chance of being involved in an animal collision. This equates to 6,700 claims.
As the largest insurer of cars in the U.S., State Farm estimates over 1.8 million auto insurance claims were filed across the industry from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 involving animal collisions. Pennsylvania had the highest number of claims out of all the states, with an estimated 153,397 claims for the same time period. Michigan is second in terms of highest claims counts with 133,636, followed by Texas (96,000), North Carolina (88,770) and Ohio (82,395).
While deer represent the vast majority of these types of occurrences, they’re not the only type of animals drivers have had an unfortunate encounter with while on the road. Unknown animals, rodents, dogs and raccoon round out the top five kinds of animal collisions last year. These types of claims would be covered under the optional comprehensive portion of an auto policy after the deductible is applied.
With the most dangerous season of animal related vehicle collisions starting in October and running through December, it’s important to remember some basic safety tips to help prevent and minimize the impact of these sometimes inevitable encounters.
- Slow down, especially if you see an animal close to the road.
- Stay alert. Scan the road for animals at any time of the day or night.
- Pay attention to “deer crossing” and other animal signs.
- Reduce distractions. Put the cell phone away.
- Brake as necessary. If you can avoid hitting the animal, reduce your speed, honk your horn and tap your brakes to warn other drivers.
- Don’t swerve. If a crash with an animal is inevitable, maintain control of your vehicle and don’t veer off the road.
- Use high beams. Flicking your high beams on wildlife may cause the animal to scurry away.
- Be aware of peak season. Animal crashes, especially deer, happen most often during October through December, which is hunting and mating season.
- Watch for animals on the road between dusk and dawn.
- Watch for herds. If you see one deer, there are probably more nearby.
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