West
Virginia Leads Nation in Frequency of Deer-Vehicle Collisions Wednesday October 24, 10:39 am ET
Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Iowa Round Out Top Five
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ --
According to State Farm InsuranceŽ claims data, the vehicles that are
most likely to collide with a deer are in West Virginia. Using its deer
claims data from the last half of 2006 and the first half of 2007 and
motor vehicle registration counts by state from the Federal Highway
Administration, State Farm estimates the chances of a West Virginia
vehicle colliding with a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 57.
That is nearly three times more likely than one
estimate of the possibility that a person will be audited by the
Internal Revenue Service in 2008 and 5,000 times more likely than
another approximation of the chance that an individual will be struck by
lightning between now and a year from now.
Michigan is second on the list of states where
deer-vehicle collisions are most frequent. The likelihood of a specific
vehicle striking a deer there next year is 1 in 86. Wisconsin is third
(1 in 99), while Pennsylvania (1 in 100) and Iowa (1 in 109) round out
the top five.
The bottom half of the top ten consists of
Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.
The state in which deer-vehicle collisions are
least likely is Hawaii (1 in 16,624). These incidents are ten times less
likely in our 50th state than they are in any other state.
State Farm's data shows the total number of
deer-vehicle collisions in the United States has increased 6.3 percent
over a year ago. State Farm policyholders were involved in 205,121
deer-related collisions between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007,
compared with 192,877 during the 12 months prior to that.
The average property damage cost of these
incidents was just under $2,900, up 3 percent from a year ago.
According to the Insurance Institute for
Highway SafetyŽ, there are approximately 1.5 million deer-vehicle
collisions annually in the United States, causing more than 150
fatalities and $1.1 billion in property damage.
These collisions are more frequent during the
deer migration and mating season in October, November and December. The
combination of growing deer populations and the displacement of deer
habitat caused by urban sprawl is producing increasingly hazardous
conditions for motorists and deer.
"State Farm has been committed to auto safety
for several decades and that's why we want to call attention to
potential hazards like this one," said Vice President-Strategic
Resources Laurette Stiles. "We believe providing our customers with
updated safety information helps prevent adversity."
Here are tips on how to reduce the chances that
a deer-vehicle collision involving your vehicle will be part of the
story we tell in next year's version of this news release:
-- Be aware of posted deer
crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
-- Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.
-- Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to
illuminate the
areas from which deer will enter roadways.
-- Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds -- if you
see one,
there is a strong possibility others are
nearby.
-- Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles. They don't
work.
-- If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve
out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place
you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
About State Farm
State FarmŽ insures more cars and homes than
any other insurer in the U.S. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000
employees serve over 76 million auto, fire, life and health policies in
the United States and Canada, and more than 1.7 million bank accounts.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the
State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the
Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please
visit statefarm.comŽ.
STATE
PROJECTED INDUSTRY Motor Vehicle
Likelihood
COUNT for
Registrations as of
Deer/Elk/Moose of October 2006
collison
Losses 2006-2007
with deer
Insurance survey finds wrecks are up 6%; costs up
too.
POSTED: 5:36 p.m. EST, November 14, 2006 November 14, 2006
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Drivers smashing into
deer on U.S. roads is an increasing, costly and dangerous problem, according
to an insurance survey released Tuesday.
Deer-related car crashes, including wrecks involving
elk and moose, are up almost six percent compared to last year's deer season,
according to the report by State Farm Insurance.
Deer collisions become more frequent during fall and
winter due to deer migration and mating season, which typically occur from
October through December.
About 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions happen each
year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Those accidents cause about 150 deaths and $1.1 billion in
property damage annually, according to NHTSA.
State Farm policy holders were involved in 192,877
deer-related collisions this year versus 182,458 last year. The average
property damage cost was $2,800, $300 more than last year, State Farm said.
Increasing deer populations and the encroachment of
urban sprawl into the deer's natural habitat have added to the risk, according
to State Farm.
State Farm advises motorists to be aware of "Deer
crossing" signs. Drivers should also use high-beam headlights as much as
possible and be aware that deer tend to travel in packs. Where there is one,
more are probably close behind.
"Deer whistles," devices that attach to the vehicles'
front bumpers, have been shown to be ineffective, State Farm said.
Some states have far more deer collisions than
others. According to State Farm's claim statistics, the 10 states with the
most deer crashes between June 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006 account for more than
half of all such claims.
