10-31-2023 4:21am

DEER COLLISIONS

Here Are The Odds Of Hitting A Deer In MD: How To Avoid It This Season

Deer — including especially frisky bucks competing for mates in what’s called “rut” — are making Maryland’s rural roads, and some more isolated stretches of urban highway, more dangerous at this time of year.

State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, said industrywide casualty claims data puts the odds of hitting a deer or other animal at 1 in 116 in Maryland.

November, October and December, in that order, are the most dangerous time of year for animal collisions. Deer are involved in the largest majority of claims, State Farm said, followed by collisions with rodents, dogs, raccoons and coyotes. Claims for rodent damage includes chewed wiring and other destruction.

The greatest odds of hitting an animal on the highway are in West Virginia, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Missouri, the insurer said. The odds range from 1 in 38 in West Virginia to 1 in 80 in Missouri.

Nationwide, the odds of hitting an animal are 1 in 127.

To put that in perspective, the odds of finding out your child is a genius are about twice that, at 1 in 250, and the chances of catching a ball at a Major League Baseball game are more than quadruple that, at 1 in 563, State Farm actuaries have said.

State Farm’s analysis was based on claims filed across the industry for the year ended June 30, 2023. The highest number of claims filed was in Pennsylvania, with an estimated 153,397. Michigan was second with 133,636, followed by Texas (96,000), North Carolina (88,770) and Ohio (82,395).

The majority of collisions occur around dusk on roads that don’t have a lot of traffic. State Farm said a survey of its members showed between 30 percent and 50 percent of drivers had collisions with animals under those conditions.

Additionally, one risky driving habit, whether speeding or using a cellphone, increases the chance of an animal collision by 23 percent, State Farm said.

While the vast majority of deer strikes do not involve serious injury, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in the 10-year period from 2012-2021, almost 2,000 people were killed in crashes involving deer, including 14 in Maryland and 35 in Virginia, said AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The agency urges drivers to stay focused and look out for deer, especially during the morning and evening hours when the distracted animals are most active and most likely to intersect with commuters.

“Safety is priority one, so first and foremost, we are encouraging drivers to adjust their driving behaviors to prevent a deer collision,” said Ragina C. Ali, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic in Maryland and Washington, D.C. “They may also want to adjust their insurance coverage because even a minor collision will likely be a major expense.”

AAA Mid-Atlantic said that in Maryland, the average claim for an animal strike in 2022 was more than $6,300, an increase of nearly 60 percent in five years. The average cost in the District, per claim was more than $5,200 in 2022. Across Virginia, the average claim was more than $5,500 – up 40 percent in just five years.

While there are multiple factors at play, the sharp increase is due, in large part, to new vehicle technology including cameras and sensors that may be in the windshield, bumper or rearview mirrors, driving up the cost of repairs, AAA said. Lingering supply chain issues are also an issue.

Here are some tips to avoid a collision:

Slow down, especially if you see an animal close to the road;
Stay alert and scan the road for animals at any time of the day or night;
Pay attention to “deer crossing” and other animal signs;
Reduce distractions, including putting your cellphone out of sight;
Brake as necessary to 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 and note, too, that flicking your high beams on wildlife may cause the animal to scurry away;
Be on alert during peak season for animal crashes, especially around dusk and dawn;
Remember that deer travel in herds and if you see one, there are probably more nearby.