Are you ready for this?
Of course, if you live in WV, this ranking may not come as a surprise to you.
According to State Farm Insurance, if you live here you have the worst odds on hitting deer.
They calculated this by comparing the number of motor vehicle registrations in each state with deer collision claims.
· 1.
· 2.
· 3.
· 4.
· 5.
· 47.
· 48.
· 49.
· 50.
· 51.
Of course, you always have people tailgating you. We try to ignore them.
Why am I telling you about our state's claim to fame?
Our son just added his car to the statistics. He is doing his part to help West Virginia stay on top of the list.
Is your state in the top five?
How many deer have you or your family members hit? I bet you could tell me some stories.
I think everyone in my family (except for me and Davy) have hit deer at least twice.
They sure are pretty, but they can cause a lot of damage.
That is so sad. I live in Nevada so I guess I am safe from deer but wild mustangs roam all over and a lot were hit until they started some kind of anti animal reflector program and now it is much better. Sorry about your son and his car.
ReplyDeleteRoberta Anne
No, we're not in the top five. But I'll bet we're not too far down that list. I see them all the time. Some hit and some near misses. A friend of mine got a set of those little black deer deterent things that go on the front of your car. And she stopped seeing deer. She was scared to death one would try to commit suicide in front of her VERY SMALL car.
ReplyDeleteDear are so bad here is Central Missouri also. I get so upset when I hear aof a fatal car accident caused by a deer. I wish they would let them hunt them longer here. They are a pure nusciance here. They stupid conservation has set the price of $250.00 to purchase a out of state deer tag. That is absurd I think. Oh greedy of them and people are being killed each month by silly people swearving to miss them and then go out of control. They also eat up my flowers and grdens here.
ReplyDeleteOh no, Jan. Andrew hasn't even had his new car very long at all. Well, they can fix it just like new again. I'm glad he didn't get hurt.
ReplyDeleteAnd the worst part is, the WV Division of Natural Resources is currently helpless when it comes to the out of control deer population. In the eastern counties and the Potomac Highlands (where I am from), and where the deer population is the greatest in the state, the biological carrying capacity of the land is right around 5 deer per square mile, but currently there are about 40 deer per square mile. That's 35 more deer than the land is able to support. With this amount of deer over what the land can support, disease is inevitable. It also leads to extensive crop damage, which takes us back to increased insurance claims.
ReplyDeleteAnd to top it all off, look at the amount of money in the form of campaign contributions that the major insurance companies give to WV politicians, and then follow those politicians stand on deer control legislation. Without pointing fingers (they know who they are), the greatest benefactors of this insurance money are also the very same politicians who prevent passage of deer control programs, and even stop funding of the minimal programs that are currently in place. There are viable plans at the DNR to control the deer population, but without funding these programs, they just lay there. On top of that, legislative budget cuts have cut the roster of the DNR, so now there isn't enough employees to adequately implement current programs.
So, it isn't a stretch to say that the insurance companies, and their minions, are preventing passage of deer control legislation in WV (by buying politicians), and in the meantime, they get to raise the rates of WV residents for automobile accidents, crop damage, etc., and it all looks very understandable. Now with this latest report, watch our rates increase yet again.
In the meantime, blame is squarely placed on the shoulders of the WV DNR for the out-of-control deer population.
There's plenty of blame to go around in this issue, but we should look all around and look at the root cause, and determine the best course of action to move beyond this mire. I'm with you, something needs to be done.
Matthew
ps...can you tell this is a topic that I am passionate about?lol.
Hi Janet,
ReplyDeleteIf you do a post aboaut your milk galss collections..tell me. I would love to see your pieces:)
I have come VERY close to hitting a deer...and am so GALD that I havent'...one time I ran over a rabbit and cried all the way home. I don't think I would do well hitting a deer...Glad your son is okay.
Deb
One of my sisters had a deer jump her car in Largent. Only scratched the paint. The other sister just had a deer broadside her and take out her headlight in Romney two weeks ago. Yes, they didn't even see them coming either. xxoo
ReplyDeleteJanet-never hit one-but have come close once or twice. Like you I remember where they're likely to cross and try and slow down. I know several folks who have hit one-and it really tears your car up.
ReplyDeleteWell, we create these giant saltlicks when we treat the roads with salt, so of course the deer are attracted to the salt that ends up saturating the roadsides.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame about your son's car--it looks like it was a pretty one.
I say that it's not IF you're going to hit a deer, but WHEN you're going to hit a deer. I've done my part--I hit one about 5 years ago. Larry's hit one or two, Tommy hit one and his girlfriend hit 2, Jared hit 2, etc, etc. Then there are the deer who run into the side of your car! I had one of those--fortunately neither car or deer were damaged.
With the thousands of miles (35-50,000) I drive each year, it's an expected hazard--even looking out for them is no guarantee because they may start to run one way then turn and run right in front of you or stop in the road.
We had one hit US! She darted across the road and smack into our van. I want to try one of those noise things and see if they work. We are not in the top five, down here in TX, I know they are plentiful up 'yonder'. Becareful:)
ReplyDeleteArkansas - #5. There are certain times that you can literally see hundreds of deer on the sides of the roads at night. I used to commute to take a college class at night and I felt like I was taking chances every time. blessings, marlene
ReplyDeleteI thought Ohio would be in the top 5! I think everyone here has either hit a deer or know someone that has. It is one of my greatest fears driving back from my dad's house! WE go fast on theold, dark country roads and I just know it will happen one of these times.
ReplyDeleteTwo almost ran in front of us a couple of days ago but thankfully they ran alongside.
ReplyDeleteAs many as I've seen in my backyard lately I think deer season should be a little longer.