When car meets deer it is rarely good for either the car or the deer, so a recent report by the Highway Loss Data Institute stating that animal-vehicle crashes are on the rise is a bit alarming.
According to the report, fatalities from vehicle crashes with deer and other animals have more than doubled during the last fifteen years, with 223 human deaths in 2007, an increase from 150 in 2000, and 101 in 1993. The report cites urban sprawl that overlaps the natural habitat of deer as a significant cause.
The state with the most animal-vehicle crash deaths over the last fourteen years is Texas, which toted up 223 fatalities since 1993. Coming in at second and third places are Wisconsin (123) and Pennsylvania (112), while West Virginia had only 36 fatal deer-related crashes in the same time period.
While other animals are sometimes involved, both the Highway Loss Data Institute and its sister-organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, agree that, according to federal crash data and insurance claim information, deer are the most common animals involved in such accidents.
Kim Hazelbaker, the Highway Loss Data Institute's senior vice president explains,"Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country. If you're driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November."
to the same study, the insurance claims for animal-related crashes are three times higher in November than from January to September. Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tells us why: "The months with the most crash deaths coincide with fall breeding season."
While both organizations are concerned by the increase in fatalities, the Governors Highway Safety Association believes the numbers should be put in perspective, reminding us of the more than 12, 000 drunk driving deaths every year.
Association spokesperson Jonathon Adkins says, "Deer crashes are a small highway safety problem in terms of total deaths. This problem is perceived to be a lot more common than the reality." He adds that there are no countermeasures that really work, other than fencing, "… which is extremely expensive and not practical. Our message to motorists is to slow down, particularly at dusk and on rural roads."
In a separate study from 2004, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety determined that fencing, when combined with underpasses and overpasses, can be an effective preventative against deer-auto crashes.
Addressing the scope of the problem, McCartt said, "I agree that the number doesn't compare to the number of people killed in alcohol- related crashes, but it is going up. We're not suggesting it's of the same magnitude, but they do result in injuries and death."
