It is the time of year that everyone wants to talk about collisions involving deer. And, for good reason, the odds of deer-car collisions double during the last three months of the year, according to a report released by
State Farm.
The fact that such collisions are only covered if a driver has comprehensive insurance isn’t news to many agents. But, what about a collision caused by swerving to a miss a deer? That is covered by collision coverage, according to State Farm. Hitting the deer first, then hitting a tree? Better hope your client opted for comprehensive, said State Farm.
State Farm spokesperson Angela Thorpe said that with people keeping their cars longer, a lot of people start trying to save money on their insurance once their loan is paid off. “Agents need to help people look carefully at their risks when they think about canceling comprehensive. If someone lives in an area with high theft rates or high incidences of deer collisions for instance, comprehensive can be a pretty good deal.
“Making sure people have the coverage they need comes down to the agent,” Thorpe said. “Agents have those relationships and can talk to people about the risks they face and how to cover those risks.”
In the South, the risk of a driver hitting a deer in any given year ranges widely from state to state.
- Mississippi—1 in 88 drivers is likely to hit a deer in a year
- Arkansas—1 in 101
- Oklahoma—1 in 198
- Texas—1 in 279
- Louisiana—1 in 355
- New Mexico—1 in 518
By comparison, in the nation as a whole, the odds of hitting a deer in the next year are 1 in 169, and the odds change every year.
"Changes in collision rates from year to year are a reflection of changing deer densities or population levels – more deer in a given area increases the potential for collision. Deer populations are also affected by conditions such as new or improved roads with higher speeds near deer habitat, winter conditions, and other related factors," Ron Regan, executive director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, said in a written statement.
In 2013, there were 191 human deaths caused by collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
