Deer-Vehicle Collisions: When They Happen, Where They Spike and What They Cost

After years of steady increases, deer-vehicle collisions in the United States fell in 2024–2025. Repair costs hit record highs in the same period. Insurance companies processed 1.7 million animal collision claims between July 2024 and June 2025, down 5.6% from 1.8 million the previous year, according to State Farm and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 

Insurance claims represent about 81% of actual collisions. Many drivers don't file claims for minor damage or lack comprehensive coverage. Researchers estimate that actual deer-vehicle collisions total around 2.1 million a year. Damage costs top $10 billion annually.

Scientists at the University of Washington analyzed over 1 million collisions from 1994 to 2021 and found that making daylight saving time permanent would prevent 36,550 deer deaths, 33 human deaths, 2,054 human injuries and $1.19 billion in collision costs each year. Collisions spike 16% in the week following the fall time change, when evening rush hour suddenly shifts into darkness.

Deer-vehicle collision risk varies by state based on deer population density, habitat, road networks and geographic location within time zones.

Pennsylvania has the highest estimated number of claims nationwide at 148,000 a year, followed by Michigan (126,000), North Carolina (88,000), Texas (86,000) and Ohio (80,500).

Wisconsin's high deer collision risk drives up car insurance costs compared with the national average.

Animal collision risk rises from late October through early December, the height of deer mating season (the rut). Deer move more during this period. They're less wary of roads, even during daylight hours.

November has the highest collision claims, at 14 per 1,000 insured vehicle years in 2021. That's roughly triple the rate in the lowest-risk months. The three autumn months together account for 650,000 incidents, or 38% of all animal collisions a year, according to State Farm.

Peak Collision Times

Seventy-six percent of deer-vehicle collisions happen at night. Roads are nine times more deadly once the sun goes down. Deer are most active at twilight.

Highest-risk periods:

• Dusk to evening (sunset to two hours after): Collisions happen 14 times more often than before sunset.
• Dawn (before and shortly after sunrise): Risk stays high at first light. Slow down even after the sun is up.
• Full-moon nights: Brighter moonlight pushes deer farther from cover and onto roads.

During fall and winter, earlier sunsets push rush hour into darkness. Most collisions happen in that dusk window.

University of Washington researchers analyzed over 1 million deer-vehicle collisions from 1994 to 2021. Deer collision risk is 14 times higher in the two hours after sunset than before it. When evening rush hour shifts from daylight into darkness during the November time change, collision rates spike 16%.

Deer breeding season (the rut) increases deer movement by up to 50% during late October and November. Nearly 10% of annual deer collisions occur in the two-week period around the fall time change, according to the University of Washington study published in Current Biology.

Permanent Daylight Saving Time Would Save Lives

Permanent daylight saving time would shift more rush-hour traffic into daylight. The research predicts it would prevent 36,550 deer deaths, 33 human deaths, 2,054 human injuries and $1.19 billion in collision costs a year.

States in the northern U.S. and on the eastern edge of time zones would see the greatest reductions. The University of Washington found counties at northern latitudes experience 1.86 times more collisions than southern counties after adjusting for population density. Counties on the eastern edge of time zones would see 1.35 times more collisions than western counties in the same time zone. Maine could experience an 8.3% drop in deer collisions.

Permanent Standard Time Would Make It Worse

Permanent standard time would increase deer-vehicle collisions. The research predicts permanent standard time would add 73,660 deer-vehicle collisions, 66 human deaths, 4,140 human injuries and $2.39 billion in costs a year.

The U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022 to make daylight saving time permanent, but the bill has stalled in the House of Representatives. Medical professionals debate the health effects of permanent daylight saving time versus standard time. Road safety is now part of that debate.

Average claim costs in high-risk regions reached $5,620 in 2024, up from $5,000 in 2023, according to AAA East Central data covering Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Individual repairs range from $4,000 to over $11,000 based on damage severity.

Deer collisions commonly damage headlights, windshields, hoods, radiators, grilles and bumpers. Coolant systems are also frequently hit.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), animal-involved crashes resulted in 164 fatalities in 2021, the most recent year with complete federal data. FARS data shows most of these fatal crashes happen from October through December on rural roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher, between 6 p.m. and midnight. Those rural corridors overlap with states with the highest rates of risky driving.

The Federal Highway Administration funds wildlife crossing structures and related safety measures through its Wildlife Crossings Program. Wildlife crossings and fencing cut collisions by 85% to 95% in treated areas. Few roads have them, according to federal research.

Around 36 million deer populate the United States as of 2023, roughly equal to precolonial numbers. Roads and development break up deer habitat. Deer pushed out of their habitat have to cross roads to reach food and mates.

Claims dropped 5.6% from 2023–2024 to 2024–2025, but repair costs hit record highs in the same period. That gap is squeezing drivers, insurers and state policymakers alike. It's too early to say whether that's a lasting trend.

The decline may reflect:

• More drivers aware of deer collision risk
• Better vehicle safety technology
• Changes in deer population management
• Shifts in driving habits since the pandemic

University of Washington research shows making daylight saving time permanent could prevent thousands of annual traffic deaths. Researchers estimate the change would save $1.19 billion a year in collision costs. No new infrastructure would be needed. The debate over time change continues in Congress and state legislatures.

Drivers in West Virginia, Montana and Pennsylvania file a disproportionate share of annual deer collision claims.

MoneyGeek combined State Farm's 2024 to 2025 seasonal collision trends with historical monthly claim patterns from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and wildlife-movement research from the University of Washington to create the Monthly Animal-Collision Risk Index. Scores run on a 0-to-100 scale, with November as the peak risk month.