BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Data released by State Farm in Sep. 2024 revealed that Pennsylvania ranks number 4 out of 10 on a list of states at risk for animal collision.
Pennsylvania had the highest number of claims out of all the states, with more than 150,000 claims.
As deer become increasingly active during the fall and winter months, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises drivers to slow down and stay safe .
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“This time of the year, anyone who’s lived in Pennsylvania, honestly, for more than a year, knows that there are deer everywhere. The time changes for us, but it doesn’t change for them. And this is the time of year when they’re out,” Jim Garrity, Director of Public Affairs at AAA East Central said.
Garrity said AAA’s insurance claims also rise during this time of year.
“Your average deer collision can go into the thousands in terms of cost because the newer cars are becoming more expensive to repair because of the technologies that go into these vehicles. So it’s definitely something, as a motorist, you want to keep in mind, when you’re driving down the road and you see the triangle that has the deer on it, that’s not there for decoration, that is there because that area has been identified as a high traffic area for deer,” Garrity said.