When vehicles and deer collide, results can be costly

Arkansas vehicles and deer collide approximately 22,000 times per year, according to State Farm statistics. The bulk of those collisions happen in autumn, when the deer’s rutting season is underway.
Arkansas vehicles and deer collide approximately 22,000 times per year, according to State Farm statistics. The bulk of those collisions happen in autumn, when the deer’s rutting season is underway.

We were driving home from a vacation in Yellowstone National Park. My best friend, Lewis, and I were in the front seat of my van, while our teenage sons Zach and Shannon, and Zach’s friend Justin, slept in the back.

We had been away from home for a week and were anxious to get back, so we decided to take turns at the wheel and drive through the night. As we made our way through Nebraska corn country around 2 a.m., I noticed several deer-crossing signs. The speed limit was 75 mph, but Lewis and I agreed we should keep our speed around 60 just in case a deer appeared. In retrospect, I wish I had slowed even more, but the decision to reduce our speed may have saved our lives.

The rural highway bisected two vast corn fields. I felt like I was being very attentive, but when a whitetail buck bolted from the tall corn into the highway, I couldn’t avoid hitting it. The deer collided with the left front side of the van, flipped, smashed the windshield, then rolled across the vehicle’s roof. In the rearview mirror, I saw the massive 10-point regain its footing and run into the corn.

The crash awoke everyone. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the van sustained major damage. Repairs would total more than $4,000.

Deer-vehicle collisions like this are frequent occurrences these days. Deer populations in the United States have exploded, growing from an estimated 10 million in the 1980s to more than 25 million today. More deer equal more crashes.

Here in Arkansas, the deer herd has grown from an estimated 400,000 animals in 1987 to more than 1 million animals today. During the same time, the state’s human population grew from

2.3 million to almost 3 million. It is inevitable then that deer and humans cross paths more often, and thousands of vehicles will be damaged each year as a result of collisions with deer. Some accidents will result in injuries or death to the vehicles’ occupants.

There is no nationwide clearinghouse for reporting deer-vehicle-collision information. However, using claims data and state-licensed-driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm Insurance, the nation’s leading auto insurer, estimates there were 1.3 million deer/vehicle collisions among the country’s 214 million licensed drivers from July 2015 through June 2016. That translates to a one-in-164 chance of hitting a deer and a 3 percent increase over the one-year period prior to that. The national average cost per claim was $3,995.08. That’s approximately $5.2 billion in damages.

The statistics for Arkansas during that time are even more alarming. State Farm estimates the state’s 2.1 million licensed drivers had a one-in-96 possibility of colliding with a deer. This places Arkansas in the highest-risk category and 14th highest in the nation. State Farm estimated there were 22,100 collisions between vehicles and deer in Arkansas during those 12 months. That’s a 5.2-percent increase over the previous year, and approximately $88.3 million dollars in total vehicle damage.

A study conducted by Phillip Tappe with the Arkansas Forest Research Center at the University of Arkansas at Monticello provides greater insights into deer-vehicle collisions in Arkansas. Tappe examined every accident report filed with the Arkansas State Police during 1998-2001 to identify accidents involving deer. These reports were of accidents that occurred on state and federal highways and were of a serious-enough nature to require a response from the state police. Thus, the accidents were not representative of all deer-vehicle collisions in Arkansas because the reports did not include accidents on county or city roads, or those that went unreported.

Nevertheless, the information Tappe reported in a 2005 edition of the Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science provides interesting insights not available from State Farm.

Altogether, Tappe found 5,858 vehicle-accident reports involving deer, an average of 1,465 per year. Collisions were recorded in all months, but more than half occurred during October, November and December, with a peak in November. This time period coincides with white-tailed-deer breeding activity in Arkansas, which also peaks in November.

The number of collisions was greatest between 5:30 p.m. and midnight, with a smaller peak occurring between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. These time periods are consistent with peak deer-activity periods in Arkansas.

Injuries to vehicle passengers occurred in 0.7 percent of the accidents, with six to 12 vehicle occupants being injured per year. Estimated damage to individual vehicles ranged from $0 to $20,000.

Most deer (67.5 percent) were killed as a result of the collisions. About one third of the deer were injured and fled the collision sites. The ultimate fate of these animals is not known.

About half the collisions involved buck deer, and half involved does. However, this varied by month, ranging from 24 percent bucks and 76 percent does in June to

65 percent bucks and 35 percent does in November. The larger proportion of bucks involved in collisions during October, November and December coincides with buck rutting activity in Arkansas.

One of the key takeaways from this information should be the fact that we are right now in the peak period for deer-vehicle collisions in Arkansas, a time when the likelihood of colliding with a deer more than doubles. Consequently, drivers should be particularly vigilant when on the road now through the end of the year.

No matter where you live, it’s important to focus on the road, helping you take action if a deer is suddenly in your path. These additional tips from State Farm can also help keep drivers and passengers safe.

• Slow down, particularly at dusk and dawn.

• If you see one deer, be prepared for more deer to cross the road.

• Pay attention to deer-crossing signs.

• Always buckle up — every trip, every time.

• Use your high beams to see farther, except when there is oncoming traffic.

• Brake if you can, but avoid swerving, which could result in a more severe crash.

• Avoid distractions, like using electronic devices or eating, which might cause you to miss seeing an animal.

• Do not rely on products such as deer whistles, which are not proven effective.

• If riding a motorcycle,

always wear protective gear, and keep your focus on the road ahead.

“We know there is an increased risk of collision with deer around dawn and dusk, and also during the October-through-December breeding season,” said Chris Mullen, director of technology research at State Farm. “However, drivers should be engaged, alert and on the lookout at all times, because you never know when you may need to react to a deer or any other obstacle that may suddenly be in your path.”

Upcoming Events