Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, October 6, 2011
(UNDATED) - Car-deer accidents may be on the rise, since the month of October means Rut Season is just around the corner. More than 1 million collisions between deer and vehicles occur in the U.S. every year.
According to some of the country's largest auto insurers, Indiana is ranked 25 on the list of worst states for deer collisions. "That is one in every 178 accidents will involve a deer," says Laurette Stiles, State Farm Vice President of Strategic Resources.
The top ten:
1. West Virginia
2. Iowa
3. South Dakota
4. Pennsylvaina
5. Michigan
6. Montana
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota
9. North Dakota
10. Wyoming
November is the heart of the deer migration and mating season, the month during which deer-vehicle encounters are most likely. A confrontation between a deer and a vehicle will occur once every five seconds in the U.S., roughly equivalent to the time it took you to read this sentence.
October is the second most with December being the third likely month for a crash involving a deer and a vehicle.
The average property damage cost of these incidents during the final half of 2010 and the first half of 2011 was $3,171.
Here are tips on how to reduce the odds of a deer-vehicle collision involving your vehicle becoming part of the story we tell next year:
- Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
- Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.
- Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
- Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds - if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.
- Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.
- If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
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