 | Lori Johnson is an insurance agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services, located at 219 S. Ozark, Girard, KS 66743. She can provide strategies for all stages of life: Vehicle, Homeowners, Farm, Business, Life Insurance, Annuities, Mutual Funds, Disability, Long-Term Care, Retirement and Education Funding, She is your resource for innovative insurance and investment products and services. To schedule an appointment, please call (620)724-4213 or email lori.johnson@fbfs.com. |
Insurance
2012-11-07 11:20:06
Deer collision statistics and how to avoid them
A- The most dangerous animal in North America isn't the bear or the shark, but may well be the deer, and the deadliest time of year is fall. On average, more collisions between cars and deer occur in October, November, and December. These are the months when deer are both migrating and mating, making them more active and more likely to end up in the path of an oncoming car. Additionally, deer populations are getting larger, while at the same time, their habitats are being displaced by urban sprawl.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 1 million car accidents with deer each year that kill 200 Americans, cause more than 10,000 personal injuries, and result in $1 billion in vehicle damage. By comparison, sharks have killed 10 people in the USA in the past 10 years, according to the International Shark Attack File.
The number of deer/car collisions has actually decreased the past three years, likely because of the economy and people driving fewer miles. However, over the five-year period, 1,017 people died in vehicle-animal collisions, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
To put the numbers into perspective, during the time it takes you to read this paragraph, a collision between a deer and vehicle will likely have taken place. (They are most likely during the last three months of the year and in the early evening.)
Avoid Deer Collisions while Driving:
If you are driving through a high-risk state, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk:
*Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
*Remember that deer are most active between 6pm and 9pm.
*Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
*Be aware that deer generally travel in herds, if you see one, there is strong possibility others are nearby.
*Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.
*If a deer collision seems inevitable, trying to swerve out of the way could make you lose control of your vehicle or move into the path of an oncoming car.
By evaluating the overall number of reported collisions in each state and weighing them by the total number of licensed drivers, a few states clearly led the list of deer-vehicle collisions. For the fourth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a driver is most likely to collide with a deer. The odds: 1 in 42. In Kansas, the odds: 1 in 172, Missouri 1:133 and Oklahoma 1:245. The state in which deer-vehicle collisions are least likely is Hawaii, the odds of deer strike being 1 in 13,011. So before heading out for a weekend trip on that beautiful, crisp autumn day, be aware of the deer!
