Good Neighbor Stories

Why Wildlife Crossings Matter for Safer Roads

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:01:16 -0500

By Wayne Cimons, Associate General Counsel, Federal Affairs

For two decades, State Farm® has tracked animal-vehicle collisions to better understand where and when drivers across the country face the greatest risk. But understanding the problem matters most when it helps point toward ways to prevent it.

A safer way forward

Wildlife road crossings are one promising solution. They are overpasses, underpasses and other roadway structures that give animals a safer way to cross busy roads, helping reduce collisions with vehicles. Often paired with fencing that guides animals toward the crossing, they can help keep wildlife out of traffic while connecting habitats separated by roads and highways.

Real-world projects are already showing encouraging results. Along Colorado Highway 9 near Kremmling, a system of wildlife overpasses, underpasses and fencing resulted in a 90% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions during early monitoring.

It's an example of what thoughtfully designed infrastructure can accomplish. For drivers, the potential benefits are straightforward: fewer crashes, safer roads and less risk of injury and vehicle damage. Wildlife benefits, too, by gaining safer routes across highways that intersect their habitats.

A road-safety investment worth continuing

In 2021, Congress established the federal Wildlife Crossing Program to help states and communities build projects aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.

State Farm supports federal funding of these initiatives, including enactment of the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to help continue and expand the program.

Twenty Years of Animal Collision Information

State Farm has spent two decades using claims experience, data and the expertise of our people to help drivers understand animal collision risks. The next opportunity is using what we've learned to reduce it.

State Farm estimates there were more than 1.6 million insurance claims related to animal-vehicle collisions in the United States between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. And the consequences can be far more serious than vehicle damage. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 210 people died in animal-involved motor vehicle crashes in 2024.

One thing we've learned through our twenty years of research is that animal collisions aren't as random as they may seem. They happen more often in certain places and at certain times of year, especially during the fall when deer are more active.

Understanding those patterns can help drivers know when to be more alert. It can also help identify places where prevention could make a difference.

The bottom line

Every collision avoided can mean a driver who gets home safely, a family that avoids an unexpected repair bill and an animal that safely reaches the other side of the road.

Twenty years of research have helped State Farm better understand the risk. The opportunity for the next 20 is to use that knowledge to help prevent crashes before they happen.

Safer passages for wildlife can mean safer roads for all of us.

20 Years of Animal Collision Data, One Goal: Safer Roads Ahead

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0500

For 20 years, State Farm has studied animal collision data to better understand the risks drivers face and help people stay safer on the road.

One thing we've learned is that animal collisions aren't as unpredictable as they may seem. They happen more often in certain places and at certain times of year, especially in the fall when deer are more active.

By combining insights from claims data with the experience of our people, we can help drivers know when and where to be more alert and help inform solutions that could prevent collisions in the first place.

It's about putting 20 years of experience and insight to work for what matters most: fewer crashes and safer trips home.

What the latest data shows

Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, State Farm estimates there were more than 1.6 million animal- vehicle collision claims across the United States. State Farm paid $1.9 billion in animal- vehicle collision claim costs during the study period.

There is some encouraging news: the national likelihood of an animal collision improved from 1 in 139 last year to 1 in 145 this year. But the number and cost of these collisions show they remain a significant roadway risk.

West Virginia continues to have the highest likelihood of an animal collision, with odds of 1 in 46, and has held the top spot for more than a decade. Montana ranks second at 1 in 54, followed by Wisconsin (1 in 62), Pennsylvania (1 in 64), and Michigan (1 in 68).

While West Virginia has the highest likelihood, Pennsylvania had the highest number of estimated industry claims, at approximately 141,000.

More than vehicle damage

Animal-vehicle collisions can have serious consequences for motorists, passengers, and wildlife. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 210 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving collisions with animals in 2024.

State Farm's research initially focused on deer collisions but has expanded over time to provide a broader picture of collisions involving wild and domestic animals. Deer remain by far the most frequently struck animal, but claims also involve rodents*, dogs, raccoons, cattle, coyotes, cats, turkeys, hogs, and bears.

If you have a collision

First, move your vehicle to a safe location when possible and turn on your hazard lights. Call police if the animal is blocking traffic or creating a hazard, and don't approach an injured or frightened animal.

When it's safe, document the scene and vehicle damage. Before driving away, check for leaking fluids, damaged tires, broken lights, or other hazards. Contact your insurance company to report the collision. Comprehensive coverage typically covers damage from collisions with animals, subject to the policy terms and deductible.

Putting 20 years of insight to work

After 20 years of tracking animal collisions, State Farm has learned that understanding when and where crashes happen can help drivers prepare—and help inform ways to prevent them.

Looking ahead, better infrastructure, wildlife crossings, vehicle technology, driver awareness and data-informed decisions can all play a role in reducing risk.

The goal for the next 20 years is clear: fewer collisions, fewer injuries, and safer roads for drivers and wildlife.

*Rodents are not only involved in collisions but included in claims data as an animal-related loss for damage they cause to vehicles, like chewing wires.

Deer meets Motorcycle

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 16:04:00 -0500

It was a clear, cold morning with the bluest sky. Cheryl Lee was on the back of the motorcycle her husband Jerry was driving. She recalls saying to him as they headed home through Kentucky, "God sure gave us a beautiful day to ride home.”

The pair had been on the two-lane county road about an hour. A pick-up truck, hauling a large tractor, pulled out from a side road in front of the couple. Jerry easily passed the slower moving vehicle and moved back into his lane. Neither Cheryl nor Jerry saw what was coming next.

“The bike immediately stopped and went up on its front wheel catapulting me onto the highway. I bounced down the road, stopped in the middle and crawled to the edge,” says Cheryl. “Jerry managed to stay on the bike and ended up in the ditch farther up the road.”

“We were running about 55 miles per hour. Just a slow, easy, relaxing pace. As we pulled back into our lane I heard a loud noise,” Cheryl recalls. “The next thing I remember I’m lying in a ditch with a man kneeling over me. He was calling 911. I thought we had blown a rear tire. I had no idea a deer was involved. I didn’t know where Jerry was. I knew I was hurt and I was scared for Jerry. I knew he had to be hurt as well.”

Neither Jerry nor Cheryl saw the deer, a young buck, killed instantly. “The driver we had just passed could see the deer down in the ravine, saw its head come up and knew what was going to happen next,” Cheryl shared.

Cheryl was unconscious for a few minutes and remembers waking up and seeing the blood pooling around her head and face. She remembers being really cold while lying on the side of the road, then saw and heard the person who was calling for help.

Cheryl was treated at a trauma center for a broken nose, deep facial cut, fractured wrist and thumb. Both Cheryl and Jerry were bruised and had road rash. The motorcycle was totaled and both helmets had to be replaced, which is recommended after any impact.

Since the crash Cheryl says “we try to be even more aware of our surroundings.” She suggests drivers, especially motorcycles, always be prepared. “Even a large rock in the road can take you down. A deep pothole, another vehicle or an animal of any size can cause a crash. You can be doing everything right and still, things can go very wrong!”

Cheryl rides to work daily, weather permitting, and she and Jerry enjoy day and weekend trips on their bikes and participate in charity rides.

“My world revolves around motorcycles,” says Cheryl. “I have years of scrapbooks documenting our travels, the places we’ve visited and people we’ve met, including pictures from what happened the day our motorcycle met a deer.”

Check out the state map showing the odds of hitting a deer based on State Farm claim data:

Drivers Beware: The Odds Aren't In Your Favor

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0500

New State Farm^® data shows odds drivers will collide with a deer remain the same

Bloomington, Ill. (September 14, 2015) — U.S. drivers are just as likely to have a claim involving a collision with deer, elk or moose than they were last year, according to new claims data from State Farm. The odds drivers will have a claim from hitting one of those animals is 1 out of 169, the same as it was in 2014. That likelihood more than doubles during October, November and December, when deer collisions are most prevalent.

For the ninth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an auto insurance claim is most likely to occur. The odds a driver in the Mountain State will have a claim did improve to 1 in 44, up from 1 in 39 in 2014, an 11.4% decrease. Hawaii rounds out the bottom of the list also for the ninth year in a row with odds of 1 in 8,765.

The top five states a driver is most likely to have a claim from a collision with a deer, elk or moose are:

Rank	State	2015 Odds	Percent Change from 2014
1	West Virginia	1 in 44	11.4% Less Likely
2	Montana	1 in 63	19.1% More Likely
3	Iowa	1 in 68	13.2% More Likely
4	Pennsylvania	1 in 70	1.4% More Likely
5	South Dakota	1 in 73	12.3% More Likely

Avoid becoming a statistic

Injuries, vehicle damage and fatalities all can result from vehicle collisions with deer. In 2013, 191 deaths were the result of collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These tips could help drivers avoid a collision:

Use extra caution in known deer zones
Always wear your seatbelt
At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams
Avoid swerving when you see a deer
Scan the road for deer and other danger signs
Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles

And here are some deer facts that all drivers should know:

Deer are on all roads
Deer are unpredictable
Deer often move in groups
Deer movement is most prevalent in the fall
The hours between dusk and dawn are high risk times

Whether you live in West Virginia or Hawaii, it's important that drivers are practicing safe driving habits and watching out for animals on the road. Wearing your seat belt and practicing defensive driving tactics could make a significant difference.

Reasons why odds go up or down in 2015:

Deer claim counts rose by more than 21% in Indiana and more than 13% in Iowa this past year. The top ten states stayed the same from 2014, just in slightly different order. What causes these significant changes in deer collision rates?

"Periods of daily high-deer movement around dawn and dusk as well as seasonal behavior patterns, such as during the October-December breeding season, increase the risk for auto-deer collisions," said Ron Regan, executive director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. "Changes in collision rates from year to year are a reflection of changing deer densities or population levels – more deer in a given area increases the potential for collision. Deer populations are also affected by conditions such as new or improved roads with higher speeds near deer habitat, winter conditions, and other related factors."

More 2015 State Farm deer collisions facts:

The national cost per claim average is $4,135, up 6% from 2014 ($3,888).
The months a driver is most likely to have claim involving a deer, elk or moose in the U.S., mostly due to mating and hunting seasons, are:
1. November
2. October

December

Nearly ten percent of the country's deer claims occur in Pennsylvania (126,275 collisions), though when taking into account the amount of licensed drivers in the state, West Virginia still edges out as number one with a likelihood of 1 in 44 compared to Pennsylvania's 1 in 70 (fourth ranked state).

Methodology:

Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm, the nation's leading auto insurer, calculates the chances of any single American motorist striking a deer, elk or moose during the time frame of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data has been projected for the insurance industry as a whole, based on the State Farm personal vehicle market penetration within each state. The State Farm data is based on comprehensive and collision claims only. Claims involving policyholders with liability insurance coverage only are not included.