Minnesota Again One of Riskiest States for Deer Collisions
This isn't necessarily a list we'd like to be on, but Minnesota is once again in the top ten states in another survey when it comes to car/deer collisions.
The gang over at State Farm Insurance looks at all the data when it comes to car/deer collisions every year. And, seeing as the fall is one of the more common times of the year for car/deer collisions, they're back with the results this year's report. And, sure enough, Minnesota is still one of the riskiest states in the country for hitting a deer with your car.
The good news is that we're down three places from last year's survey. But we're still in the top 10, placing 10th out of the top 10 states for car/deer collisions. West Virginia is still tops on the list, followed by Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Michigan and Mississippi.
There IS some good news in the report this year: Minnesota drivers chance of hitting a deer decreased nearly 15% percent over 2018. But, we still have a 1 in 64 chance of hitting a deer here in Minnesota-- especially this time of year. The report says additional data shows that nearly half (42%) of all deer-related crashes in Minnesota occur from October to December.
I once hit a deer with my car on Christmas Eve as I was heading back to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from my parent's house in Wausau. It wasn't fun-- especially since it was Christmas. (Thankfully, though, the deer didn't have a red nose.) The report lists a few things you can do to try to avoid hitting a deer:
+ Use extra caution and slow-down in known deer zones
+ Dusk to dawn are high-risk times; use high beams when appropriate
+ Scan the road and avoid swerving when you see a deer
+ Always wear your seatbelt
+ Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer
Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc