The Danger of Deer Collisions: Where Does North Dakota Rank?
A collision with a deer and your vehicle can be a very unnerving experience.
Have you ever hit a deer with your ride? I know I have a couple of times. One in North Dakota and another in Minnesota. I have had several close calls over the last several years.
I do a lot of fishing and hunting and that often has me driving early in the morning or late in the evening, when deer are most active. Deer are nocturnal and your chances certainly increase of hitting an animal if you drive when it's dark.
October is often the peak month for motorists in North Dakota who experience deer collisions.
You should be very aware of potential run-ins with these four-legged creatures this time of year as deer enter the rut, and become a lot more active.
I came across an article recently from Car Insurance with a study on states with the most deer/vehicle accidents. The states are ranked from 1 to 50. It even gives you the percentage of how likely a collision is for each state.
Every year, deer collisions with automobiles cause close to one billion dollars in damages. As cities continue to grow into previously rural areas, you can expect that to only get worse.
So how likely is it to hit a deer in North Dakota? It's certainly on the higher end of the spectrum.
Here are the Top 10 States Most Likely to play some car hockey with a deer for 2024.
10. Missouri (1 in 80)
9. Virginia (1 in 78)
8. South Dakota (1 in 69)
7. Mississippi (1 in 64)
6. Iowa (1 in 63)
5. Wisconsin (1 in 60)
4. Michigan (1 in 60)
3. Pennsylvania (1 in 59)
2. Montana (1 in 53)
1. West Virginia (1 in 38)
So, how about North Dakota?
We didn't make the top 10 but were just outside at #12 with a 1 in 82 chance of hitting a deer.
Minnesota was just ahead of us with a 1 in 81 chance of hitting a deer at #11.
Beautiful North Dakota home found full of dead animals.
Gallery Credit: John Seil
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