As leaves and snow blanket the landscape in the fall, a hidden peril emerges on the nation’s roadways: a surge in vehicle-deer collisions. According to the most recent State Farm data, 1.8 million such incidents occurred in the United States between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
This seasonal spike endangers drivers and highlights the interplay between human infrastructure and wildlife habitats. Understanding the factors contributing to these collisions is essential for developing effective prevention strategies and ensuring safer journeys for all.
- To be covered for a run-in with a deer, you must carry comprehensive coverage.
- U.S. drivers have an average 1 in 128 chance of hitting an animal.
- If an animal-vehicle collision results in damage to another vehicle or property or if there are injuries involved, it may appear on your driving record.
Does car insurance cover hitting a deer?
To be covered for a run-in with a deer, you must carry comprehensive coverage. Although the accident with the deer wasn’t your fault, you’ll still have to pay your comprehensive deductible. State minimum car insurance does not include comprehensive coverage.
You might think a deer strike would be covered by collision since this coverage normally covers when your car hits another vehicle or object. However, contact with animals (wild or domestic) is specifically listed as a loss covered by “other than collision,” which means comprehensive coverage applies.
If you have only liability coverage, your insurer won’t pay for damages from hitting a deer. Liability insurance covers the damage you do to others and not your vehicle.
What insurance coverage do you need if you hit a deer?
To be covered if your vehicle strikes an animal, you need comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive auto insurance also covers theft, vandalism, hail, fire and other incidents beyond your control.
If you swerve to miss a deer and are successful but crash, say, hitting a tree or guardrail, that damage is covered by collision insurance. If your vehicle doesn’t contact the animal, the damage is considered a collision claim because you hit another car or object.
Comprehensive claims don’t generally raise your rates unless you have recently filed additional claims, but your coverage will only pay out up to the actual cash value of your car, and you will have to pay the deductible.
“In general, drivers expect that making a claim will cause their rates to go up, which isn’t always the case. Most insurance companies will only increase your rates if you’ve had a lot of other recent claims with them,” says Ian Lang, senior car advice editor for Bumper.com, a website to help consumers in their car-buying experience. “Hitting an animal once and making a claim through your comprehensive coverage when you’ve had an otherwise uneventful driving history shouldn’t raise your rates. This, like policy restrictions, is evaluated on a per driver, per incident basis.”
What should you do if you hit a deer?
After an accident with a deer, drivers should take the following steps:
- Ensure safety first: Pull over to a safe location and turn on hazard lights to alert other drivers. Stay in your vehicle if it’s not safe to exit.
- Check for injuries: Assess yourself and any passengers for injuries. Call 911 if medical attention is needed.
- Avoid approaching the deer: Do not attempt to touch or move the deer, as it may be injured, scared and potentially dangerous.
- Report the incident: Contact local law enforcement to report the collision, especially if the deer is blocking traffic or causing a hazard. A police report can also be useful for insurance claims.
- Document the scene: Take photos of the vehicle damage, the road and the deer (if possible) for your records and to support your insurance claim.
- Contact your insurance provider: Notify your insurer about the accident and provide necessary documentation, such as photos and the police report. If you have comprehensive coverage, it typically covers damage caused by animal collisions.
- Check vehicle condition: Assess your vehicle for damage to ensure it’s safe to drive. If it’s not drivable, arrange for towing.
- Stay calm and alert: Take your time to process the situation and focus on ensuring safety and compliance with local laws.
Do you have to file a police report if you hit a deer?
In general, car insurance companies don’t require you to fill out a police report to file a comprehensive claim for hitting a deer, but it’s advisable to contact the authorities so they can secure the area and move the animal.
Having a police report to back up your claim is helpful. If the claims adjuster can’t validate your claim that you hit a deer, the claim may end up under your collision coverage instead.
Even if your insurance provider doesn’t require a police report, your state may require a police or crash report for accidents with any injury or property damage above a certain amount.
Does hitting a deer raise your insurance premium?
Comprehensive claims for hitting a deer don’t typically increase your car insurance rates. However, with many companies, your rates can increase if you file a certain number of claims within a specified period.
“Whether hitting a deer will affect insurance premiums depends on the state the insured lives in and the insurance company. In some states, rates will not increase after an insured hits a deer because the insured is not considered at fault,” says Kevin Quinn, vice president of claims and customer experience at Mercury Insurance. “However, this does not guarantee that the insured’s rates will not increase as it is possible the insured will see a rate increase at their next renewal following a claim from a deer incident. Generally, though, comprehensive claims from such incidents do not affect rates as much when compared with collision claims.”
What are the odds of hitting a deer?
According to State Farm’s annual analysis, U.S. drivers have an average 1 in 128 chance of hitting an animal. The company estimates more than 1.8 million animal collision insurance claims were filed in the U.S. between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
How can I avoid hitting a deer?
State Farm says that there are things drivers can do to avoid hitting animals while they’re driving. Here are a few tips:
- Stay alert: Watch for “deer crossing” and “wildlife crossing” signs, and be cautious near woods or water.
- Use high beams: Flashing your high beams at an animal on the road may cause the animal to run away. High beams also help illuminate dark roads.
- Don’t swerve: If a crash is inevitable, maintain control of your vehicle and don’t veer off the road.
- Brake and honk: If you can avoid hitting the animal, reduce your speed, honk your horn and tap your brakes to warn other drivers. If there are no drivers behind you, brake hard.
- Remember, peak season is in the fall: Animal collisions happen most during October through December, which is hunting and mating season.
- Watch out at mealtime: Watch for animals between dusk and dawn.
- Watch for herds: If you see one deer, there are probably more nearby.
- Don’t use a whistle: No scientific evidence supports the efficacy of car-mounted deer whistles.
Frequently ask questions
Is hitting a deer covered by collision or comprehensive?
Hitting a deer is covered by comprehensive coverage – also called “other-than-collision.”
Does liability insurance cover hitting a deer?
No, liability insurance is for “the other guy” and protects neither your passengers nor your property.
Is hitting a deer considered an at-fault accident?
Filing a comprehensive claim for an animal collision, especially if you have a clean driving record, typically doesn’t lead to increased insurance rates. However, insurers assess each claim individually, considering factors like your driving history and the specifics of the incident.
Does hitting a deer go on your driving record?
Hitting a deer is generally considered an unavoidable accident and typically does not appear on your driving record. Since such incidents are often deemed not the driver’s fault, they usually don’t affect your driving history.
However, if an animal-vehicle collision results in damage to another vehicle or property or if there are injuries involved, it may appear on your driving record. It’s important to report the accident to your insurance company and local authorities as required by state laws.
Do you have to pay a deductible if you hit a deer?
Yes. As a comprehensive claim, you’ll be responsible for your comprehensive deductible before your auto insurance policy pays out.
Will my state pay for damage to my vehicle or my deductible?
No. No states will pay for repairs to your vehicle or your deductible if you hit a deer. Yes, your state may have an agency to manage the deer population, but it can’t prevent deer from running into the roadway — especially during mating and migration season.
What if I swerve to avoid hitting a deer? Am I covered?
When you hit a deer, your claim is filed under comprehensive insurance. But if you swerve to miss a deer and crash, it is a collision claim.
Although a deer may have started the chain of events that led you to crash the car, it isn’t a comprehensive claim if your vehicle didn’t contact the animal. If you hit another car or an object (such as a guardrail or tree) or roll your vehicle, the damage claim falls under your collision coverage.
Are injuries from a deer accident covered by insurance?
Injuries and damages from an animal-vehicle accident are only covered if you carry comprehensive insurance coverage.
How much does comprehensive coverage cost?
The nationwide annual average premium for comprehensive coverage is $421.
Resources & Methodology
Source
State Farm. “How likely are you to have an animal collision?” Accessed January 2025.
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