Insurers in states with high rates of deer-vehicle crashes are trying to get the word out this winter: Check your auto policy.

Cold-weather months are peak season for deer-vehicle crashes, especially given the soaring deer population. Thousands of the 1.5 million drivers who hit deer this year found out the hard way that their auto insurance did not cover damage to their vehicle. Only comprehensive insurance pays up in such crashes. “Many people are not aware that the collision coverage under an automobile insurance policy does not cover you if you hit a deer,” says Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Jorge Gomez.

Nationally, 36 million auto owners don’t have comprehensive insurance, says the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

For example in Michigan, the state with the second-largest number of deer accidents, comprehensive policies dropped by 16,000 in 2003, according to a recently released NAIC report. Insurers say that’s risky for vehicle owners in states with large deer populations.

Pennsylvania, which tops the list of states with the most deer-related accidents, is bucking that trend. The number of policyholders in the state with comprehensive policies increased by 85,000 to 6.3 million in the most recent year available, according to the NAIC. One insurer says its deer-related accident claims have declined in the past two years.

Erie Insurance, which operates in 11 states, credits a driver education program it implemented in 1999 with helping to avoid crashes. In the past year, its deer-related collision claims declined by 6 percent, even though its policyholders increased.

Deer crashes result in at least $1.1 billion a year in vehicle damage, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. On average, the collisions cost about $2,800 per insurance claim; $10,000 if there is injury to the driver or a passenger, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The cost is spread among all policyholders.

Deer-related tips

To try to reduce deer-related accidents, Erie Insurance publishes a news release and a policyholder magazine. Advice includes these tips:

-Don’t swerve to avoid striking a deer, as that increases the risk of hitting another vehicle or losing control of your car.

-If there is no opposing traffic, use high beams at night to better illuminate deer.

-Don’t rely on devices such as deer whistles, which are attached to the outside of a car, to try to scare off deer with high-frequency sound. They have not been proved to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.

-If a deer remains on the highway after you strike it, report the incident to the game commission or a local law-enforcement agency, as it poses a danger to other motorists. If the deer might still be alive, don’t go near it because a wild animal with sharp hooves can inflict injuries.

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By Christine Dugas
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Copyright © 2006 Rockford Register Star.