Data: Md. Motorists at ‘Medium Risk’ for Deer Collisions — W.Va. Is Most Dangerous

Drivers in the U.S. have a 1 in 116 chance of striking a deer or other animal, State Farm found in its 18th annual deer-vehicle collision study released this week. Deer — especially frisky bucks looking for a mate from October through December — create hazards on roads across the country.

Maryland is considered a medium risk state for animal collisions. Drivers in Maryland have a 1 in 107 chance of colliding with an animal on the road, the insurance company said.

Photo by Scott Carroll/Unsplash.com

Sixty-seven percent of the more than 1.96 million animal collisions from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, involved deer, according to data from State Farm’s insurance records. Collisions involving dogs, cats, farm animals, large wild animals and large rodents were also included in the study.

West Virginia is the state with the greatest likelihood of animal collisions for the 14th year in a row, the study shows. There’s a 1 in 37 chance of a driver hitting a deer or other animal in the Mountaineer State. In 2019, State Farm had 7,721 auto claims for animal collisions in West Virginia.

Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Minnesota and Wyoming were the other states in the top 10.