I suspect that most of us mature drivers have had at least one encounter with a deer during our driving careers. During my 64 years of driving, I have had four - three near-misses and a splat.

In the latter case, my car didn’t fare well but better than the deer; I was not hurt.

When it comes to being among state leaders, collisions with deer or other large animals is not a category where we Pennsylvanians want to be #1. Or even #3, as is the case. Next to West Virginia and Montana, Pennsylvania drivers are most likely to have a deer encounter, according to statistics compiled by State Farm Insurance Co.

While overall, drivers across the country have a 1 in 116 chance of striking a deer, we here in the Keystone State have a 1 in 51 chance. By comparison, West Virginia tops the list with a 1 in 37 chance, while in Montana it’s 1 in 47.

Hawaii is the state where drivers are least likely to hit an animal - 1 in 642. Other least-likely states are California and Arizona.

Claims for these types of collisions rise significantly in autumn when deer are on the move and focused on mating. November is when most claims are reported.

“Fall brings the dangerous combination of the deer being more active when we’re driving in the dark due to the shorter daylight hours,” says Jen Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. Deer are most active at dawn and between 6 and 9 p.m., so it’s a good idea to use high beams during these hours.

According to State Farm, 67% of the more than 1.96 million animal collisions from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, involved deer. Collisions involving dogs, cats, farm animals, large wild animals and large rodents were also included in the study.

If there is any good news that can be gleaned from the insurance company’s study is that during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, claims were down nearly 20% compared to the same period in 2019.

Advances in technology in some vehicles have been helpful in diminishing the number of these types of crashes. Consumer Reports says that 61% of new cars now come with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, but not all systems are designed to recognize large animals yet.

“Adapting pedestrian crash prevention systems to detect animals, as well as people in the roadway, could help avoid many of these collisions,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of the Highway Data Loss Institute.

These types of crashes can be expensive, sometimes even deadly. In 2018, the most recent year with available statistics, 190 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving animals; 126 caused by hitting the animal; the others the result of related outcomes, such as the vehicle rolling over or striking an object.

The average cost of an animal-strike claim for the period 2006 to 2019 was $3,685, according to the HDLI.

Consumer Reports suggest these tips on how to avoid these accidents:

• Slow down, especially during the dusk and dawn hours when deer are most active. If you see one deer, there are likely to be more since they travel in a group.

• Be aware of deer-crossing signs and wooded areas where animals are likely to congregate and travel. Make a mental note of where you regularly see the animals.

• Be alert when you see an animal on the side of the road. Slow down. At night, when traffic permits, use your high beams to improve visibility.

• Brake but don’t swerve, because swerving can increase your risk of hitting another vehicle or losing control of your vehicle. Instead, slow down as quickly and safely as you can. A good rule of thumb to remember: Statistics show that you have a better chance of surviving a collision with an animal than with another vehicle or a stationary barrier or a tree.

• Don’t rely on deer whistles, which are devices that drivers put on their front bumpers to scare off animals. The problem is that animal behavior is unpredictable. State Farm says: “No scientific evidence supports that car-mounted deer whistles work.”

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com