When it comes to motor vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania, deer are the most dangerous animals you can encounter on our highways.

We often think of these animals as cute and harmless. Cute? Yes. Harmless? Hardly. Deer cause more deaths than any other animals in the United States, and here in Pennsylvania, we are among the dubious leaders in deer-related motor vehicle crashes.

State Farm Insurance Co. says that the chances of a motorist being involved in a deer-related accident in the state are 63 to 1, the same as it was last year. Only in Montana (57 to 1) and West Virginia (46 to 1) are the odds higher.

Pennsylvania, though, is number one when it comes to the total number of such accidents — 141,000 from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.

In its annual projections of these types of accidents, State Farm warned that Pennsylvania is considered a “high risk” state and predicts nearly 142,000 accidents for the period from last July 1 through June 30, 2019.

Our neighbors in New Jersey live in what is considered a “medium risk” state where the odds are 232 to 1 of being involved in a deer-related accident.

Each year, deer cause about 1 million traffic accidents nationwide. Many of these are minor, but there are about 10,000 serious incidents and 200 deaths on average each year.

These crashes also cause an estimated $1 billion in vehicle damage, and, of course, many deer are either killed or have to be put down because of their injuries.

This time of year, from now until December, is particularly dangerous, because this is when deer are mating and tend to be oblivious to their surroundings. Love is blind in the animal kingdom, too.

Here are some valuable tips for preventing these types of crashes:

• Pay attention to deer crossing signs. These signs mean that there is a high likelihood that deer are in the area.

• Avoid distractions. Deer are hard to see, especially at night. Keep your eyes not only on the road but also on the sides of the road.

• Use your high beams when driving at night. Your high beams will allow you to scan the sides of the road for deer. Of course, be courteous, and turn off your high beams if another car approaches.

• Do not depend on car-mounted deer whistles. These do not work well.

• If you see a deer, slow down, turn on your hazard lights, and come to a stop.

• Don’t swerve — even if an accident is inevitable. Swerving may cause you to crash into another vehicle or lose control of your vehicle.

• Wait for the deer to move out of your path. Do not use the horn to startle the deer, which in its panic might jump toward your vehicle.

• If you see one deer, expect more. Deer tend to travel in groups.

• Buckle up. If you hit a deer, your seat belt could save your life.

If you do hit a deer, the Pennsylvania Game Commission says that you do not have to report the accident to the agency, unless you want to claim the carcass. Antlers from bucks killed in collisions must be turned over to the game commission. Do not take them as “trophies.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is responsible for removing carcasses from state roads, while the game commission takes care of carcasses on nonstate roads.

To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, call PennDOT at 800-349-7623.

Insurance companies make these recommendations: Move your vehicle to a safe place. If possible, pull to the side of the road and turn on your hazard signals. Call police, document the incident with photos when it is safe to do so, stay away from any struck animal, don’t assume your vehicle is safe to drive and call your insurance company.

When I drive at dawn or dusk, the peak times for deer to be traveling or grazing, I am on high alert. At these times of day, I prefer to have a passenger ride “shotgun,” so I have an extra set of eyes on the road.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com