A new study conducted by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company has found that more deer and car collisions per capita take place in West Virginia than in any other state in the nation. Two out of one hundred West Virginia residents have struck a deer in the road in the past year and the odds of a wildlife collision are one in 53. The national odds of striking a deer are one in 193.
This information was released at a time of year when the most West Virginia deer and car collisions take place: October and November. These months are mating season and migration season for deer, and drivers should expect to see more animals in larger groups, especially deer, in places that they are usually not seen.
Nationally, deer and car collision rates have been declining ever since gas prices have risen and the recession began. Highway safety experts and economists agree that the drop in wildlife traffic accidents is likely tied to the fact that fewer people are on the roads, many are trying to drive less, and fewer people are commuting to work.
State Farm’s study also found that a deer collision costs drivers an average of $3,171. The most deer collisions regardless of state population took place in Pennsylvania, while the fewest deer car crashes took place in Hawaii.