By Lyle Adriano
Pennsylvania’s motorists have about a 1 in 70 chance of colliding with a deer in 2015, with many of the collisions coming now through the end of the year, according to a report prepared by Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. The same report revealed that the state is ranked 4
th on the list of states where drivers are most likely to file claims for collisions with deer, elk, or moose.
The report notes that the period between the months of October and December is the riskiest in terms of deer-related collisions, as the period is closely tied to mating and hunting seasons.
“In reality we dropped [in ranking], but there’s a slight percentage increase in the odds,” said Dave Phillips, a spokesperson for
State Farm. “If you look at it from the perspective of the number of crashes, Pennsylvania’s number one.”
The report revealed that 10% of the country’s deer collisions can be attributed to Pennsylvania alone, with over 126,000 deer collision claims made in a typical year.
According to Phillips, Pennsylvania consistently ranks between 2
nd and 6
th for the likelihood of claims for deer-related collisions.
National odds for deer collision claims, as put forward by State Farm, is 1 in 169.
West Virginia is at the top of the list, with 1 in 44 drivers likely to claim for deer collisions. Montana and Iowa follow in rank.
The national average cost per claim is $4,135—a 6% increase from last year, State Farm noted.
