Are deer exacting their smirking revenge on humans? A recent release from State Farm Insurance may have the answer. According to the nation's largest home and auto insurer, the number of collisions between motorists and the timid mammal has far surpassed the actual increase of vehicles on the roadways in the past five years.
Drawing from its claim data ranging from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009, State Farm cited 2.4 million accidents involving deer and vehicles in the United States during the last two years. That translates roughly to 100,000 per month, and represents an 18.3-percent increase compared to five years earlier. To put it another way, one of these unfortunate encounters occurs every 26 seconds.
Among the 35 states where at least 7,000 deer-vehicle collisions occur each year — State Farm didn't factor in the percentage changes in the other states and Washington, D.C. because the lower volume of total collisions makes the percentage changes less credible — New Jersey and Nebraska witnessed the most significant increases (at 54 percent).
Kansas trailed New Jersey and Nebraska in terms of the most notable increases in deer-vehicle crashes. Kansans saw a 41 percent hike, whereas Florida, Mississippi, and Arkansas reported a 38-percent increase.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that deer-vehicle collisions cause more than 150 fatalities each year. In light of this and other reports, State Farm felt it was crucial to disseminate its claim findings.
"[We have] been committed to auto safety for several decades and that's why we want to call attention to potential hazards like this one," said Laurette Stiles, State Farm vice president of strategic resources. "We hope our updated information will inspire motorists to make safe decisions."
These collisions happen more frequently in the early evening and during the months of October, November, and December — the latter because of migration and mating patterns. The increasingly hazardous conditions for motorists and deer alike can be traced to urban sprawl and the resultant displacement of natural habitat, along with burgeoning deer populations, State Farm said. The cost for average property damages arising from these accidents is estimated to be $3,050, a 3.4-percent leap from one year ago.
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