North Dakota drivers experience more than 3800 deer-vehicle crashes (DVCs) a year according to the data. From 2001-2006 there were 23,376 DVCs in North Dakota, about 15 percent of all vehicle crashes.
"Crashes between deer and vehicles are a significant safety problem in North Dakota," said Tamara VanWechel, Associate Research Fellow with the UGPTI.
The counties of Nelson, Lamoure and McHenry were tops in the state with each reporting more than 14 DVCs per 100 residents. Williams and McKenzie counties both ranked in the bottom half of DVCs for the years studied.
"It isn't a problem as much recently," Williams County Sheriff Scott Busching said. Busching attributes the decline in DVCs in the area to the decline in deer population.
In 2007 North Dakota ranked in the top 10 states for total deer crashes according to the UGPTI. About 1.5 million DVCs are estimated to occur every year in the United States. They cause more than $1 billion in damage and kill about 150 humans and 150 million deer each year. Although the number of deer killed by hunters in North Dakota is going up, the total number of deer crashes in the state is holding steady.
Careful driving is the best way to reduce the chance of DVCs. Drivers are urged to be aware and on the lookout for deer, especially during the hours of 5-7 a.m. and 6-11 p.m. About two-thirds of deer crashes occur during these seven hours.
Busching thinks very few of the accidents are preventable.
"Some involve excessive speed but often times they'll (deer) even run into the side of a car," Busching noted. "The best advice we can give is don't swerve to avoid a deer."
If you are unfortunate enough to strike a deer, do not approach the animal. Park your car off the road if possible and call local law enforcement. Later, contact your insurance agent to report the accident.
Smart Motorist offered some tips to avoid deer crashes. They are:
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