Deer-Related Crashes Cost $1.1B Yearly
Tuesday, November 11th, 2003 AutoNationwide, the total of deaths and damage caused by deer on roadways is 150 motorist fatalities and about $1.1 billion in vehicle damage, according to a new study. The research was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Cornell University, both in Ithaca, N.Y., using federal and state records, as well as previous academic studies on this topic, to develop its national estimates. “Although precise data are not available, the best estimates suggest that more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle crashes in the United States in 2002 produced at least $1.1 billion in vehicle damage, about 150 human fatalities and at least 1.5 million dead deer,” according to the study, “Methods to Reduce Traffic Crashes Involving Deer: What Works and What Does Not.” “Deer and motor vehicles do not share the nation‘s highways gracefully or safely,” the study noted.
