Steering clear of deer no easy task
Mark Podlek, owner of Car Care Center in Washington, said he usually sees an influx of deer-related vehicle accidents during this time of the year.
This vehicle is undergoing repairs, including having marks buffed out and being repainted, after hitting a deer. The Car Care Center off Henderson Avenue in Washington sees more deer-related vehicle damage during this time of the year.
In Pennsylvania, drivers have a 1-in-71 chance of colliding with a deer. The deer carcasses lining area roadways are proof.
“October, November and December are the three biggest months of the year for deer-vehicle collisions,” Dave Phillips, a spokesman for State Farm insurance, said. “We are truly in the middle of the collision season. Pennsylvania is second across the country for these collisions.”
West Virginia has the most deer-vehicle collisions nationwide. That state held the title for the last eight years, with a 1-in-39 chance of colliding with a deer. In 2012, 175 deaths were reported as a result of collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck, according to Insurance Information Institute. Between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013, an estimated 1.23 million deer-vehicle collisions occurred across the United States, according to State Farm.
Collisions in fall and early winter are more prevalent because of deer mating season. Add daylight saving time into the mix, with dark coming earlier, and Phillips said the issue is compounded.
“You’re less likely to see them,” he said.
While many people purchase devices like deer whistles to avoid deer collisions, Phillips said there’s no evidence they work.
“It can become a false sense of security, which can lapse into bad driving behavior,” he said.
Phillips said it’s safer to strike a deer rather than swerving to avoid it.
“You could blow a tire, hit a tree or swerve into oncoming traffic,” he said. “You could have less damage and personal injury if you just hit the deer.”
Either way, deer-vehicle collisions are costly. The national repair average is $3,800 per collision, Phillips said.
Rick Donella, owner of Donella Body Repair, 48 Woodland Ave., Washington, said on average, deer-vehicle repair costs range from $1,000 to $3,000. In November and December, Donella said he can see two or three vehicles a week damaged in animal collisions.
“It’s very difficult to avoid,” he said about animal collisions.
Donella has been in business for the last 30 years. He recalled a deer-vehicle collision that totaled the vehicle.
“(The deer) jumped off a bank and onto the car’s roof and windshield,” he said. “Demolished the car.”
Mark Podlek, owner of Car Care Center, 887 Henderson Ave., Washington, encourages drivers not to swerve.
“You can make it worse,” he said.
From mid-fall through December, Podlek said his business will fix at least 20 cars damaged as the result of a deer-vehicle collision. Not only are repairs costly, Podlek said, but they can take several weeks. And in some cases, drivers find their collision isn’t covered.
“Those with just collision insurance or the state minimum aren’t covered,” Phillips said. “Comprehensive insurance covers you.”