In Pa., Deer Collisions Won't Increase Rates For Motorists ; Insurance Considered Them Not-At-Fault Accidents; Fall Prime Time For Hits The Odds

AD CRABLE

ACRABLE@LNPNEWS.COM

Soon, motorists in Lancaster County and across Pennsylvania will be driving in November, ground zero for your chance of colliding with a whitetail deer.

No one wants to hit a deer, and Pennsylvania's insurance commissioner wants to make sure motorists don't get a second whammy by seeing their insurance premiums increase because of the collision.

"In another push for consumer protection in Pennsylvania, I want to remind drivers that under state law, a crash involving a deer is considered a not-at-fault accident, and insurers cannot add a surcharge to your premium for an accident with a deer," Commissioner Teresa Miller said.

"In addition," she said, "vehicle damage from deer-related crashes is handled under a driver's comprehensive coverage, and surcharges are prohibited for accidents with animals or fowl."

A state insurance department spokeswoman said the department has not had recent complaints of insurers tacking on such surcharges.

In some states, you can file a deer-crash loss under your collision coverage and the claim could raise your insurance premium.

But not in Pennsylvania.

Avoiding deer in the fall in Pennsylvania is a big deal because no other state has as many motorists crashing into deer as in Pennsylvania.

One insurer alone, State Farm Insurance, reported that it handled claims for 126,275 deer collisions in the state from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015. Nationally, the average cost per claim was $4,135 according to the insurer.

In Pennsylvania, the chance of hitting a deer with your vehicle is 1 in 70. Of course, some parts of the state have more deer than others.

That's the fourth-highest odds nationally. West Virginia has the highest rate of deer collisions per capita, about 1 in 44. Montana and Iowa also have a higher risk of hitting a deer, per capita.

Another factor in Pennsylvania ranking so high in deer collisions is the sheer number of roads in the state. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 250,199 miles of roads in Pennsylvania, 11th most of all states.

No time is more iffy than November, when deer are at the peak of the rut, wandering around and not always being cautious as they try to hook up for reproduction.

Also, Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 1, meaning motorists are more likely to be going to work and driving home at dusk and dawn, when deer are the most active.

In 2013, 191 people died in the U.S. from collisions with animals, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.