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Drivers: Be wary of deer; collisions spike in November
November is the peak month for collisions of vehicles with deer, and a new analysis of insurance claims and federal crash data indicate the problem is growing.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, recently examined insurance claims for animal strikes under comprehensive coverage from January 2005 through April 2008. The main finding is that insurance claims for animal collisions are nearly three times higher during November. Insurance claims usually don’t specify the animal involved, but other data show that deer are the main ones.
"Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country," said Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president. "If you’re driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November."
Virginia Farm Bureau auto insurance claims for collisions spike in November but generally are more frequent from October through January. Last year Farm Bureau policyholders filed 2,791 claims related to collisions with deer, and the company paid nearly $5.1 million in damages. Between January and September of this year, Farm Bureau has seen 1,532 claims related to deer collisions. The organization is an IIHS member.
Most vehicle-animal collisions aren’t severe enough to injure people, but data from the federal government show that crash deaths are increasing. In 1993, 101 people died in crashes involving animals. By 2000, the number was 150, and in 2007 it was 223.
Analyzing data on fatal crashes of passenger vehicles and animals during the past three years, IIHS researchers found patterns similar to those reported by HLDI. Depending on the year, the crash deaths occurred most frequently in October or November.
"The months with the most crash deaths coincide with fall breeding season," said Anne McCartt, IIHS senior vice president for research. "Crashes in which people are killed are most likely to occur in rural areas and on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher. They’re also more likely to occur in darkness, at dusk or at dawn."
Motorcycle riders typically make up about half of the deaths in vehicle-animal crashes each year, even though registrations of cars, SUVs and pickup trucks outnumber motorcycles on the road 40 to 1.
Most of the crash deaths occurred after a motor vehicle had struck an animal and then run off the road or a motorcyclist had fallen off a bike. The study found that 60 percent of the people killed riding in vehicles weren’t using safety belts, and 65 percent of those killed riding on motorcycles weren’t wearing helmets.
Additional information on the study findings is available online at www.iihs.org/news/2008/iihs_news_103008.pdf
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