Deer Attacks Statistics

Key Takeaways

1. 1A 2022 study using GPS collar data estimated that deer typically travel 1.2 km per day on average during winter, affecting exposure to road networks (daily movement estimate)
2. 2A 2020 peer-reviewed study estimated that deer-vehicle collisions are more likely when roads intersect deer core use areas, with utilization distribution overlap around 0.3 (normalized overlap index) between road corridors and deer space-use (study result)
3. 3A 2017 scientific assessment reported that white-tailed deer can have annual survival rates around 0.6 (60%) in many managed settings, influencing population growth and collision exposure (survival parameter estimates summarized in the paper)
4. 4A 2022 randomized trial reported that deer-vehicle collision warning signs paired with flashing beacons reduced deer-vehicle collision occurrences by 31% at treated segments versus control segments (study results)
5. 5Roadside deer alert signs and reflective devices are recommended by the Federal Highway Administration for reducing collisions, and a noted study in the FHWA report reports a reduction of about 20% in nighttime crashes after installation (as summarized in the FHWA wildlife-vehicle collision synthesis)
6. 6A 2021 peer-reviewed study in the journal Transportation Research Part A estimated the annual economic burden of wildlife-vehicle collisions at $8.5 billion in the U.S. (wider set of wildlife, deer included where applicable)
7. 7A 2020 study of deer-vehicle collisions in Sweden reported average costs per collision to society of about €5,000 (cost modeling in the study’s results)
8. 8The U.S. Federal Highway Administration reports that wildlife-vehicle collisions cost the United States about $1 billion per year (broader wildlife collisions total)
9. 9A 2021 peer-reviewed review in Nature Communications found that deer activity and movement are influenced by seasonal cycles, affecting collision risk patterns with roads.
10. 10A study in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention reported that animal-vehicle collision risk peaks during the crepuscular hours (dawn and dusk) in rural roads.
11. 11The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2019 there were 36,096,462 drivers with valid licenses involved in crashes categorized as having a vehicle in transport (NHTSA crash reporting system context used for denominators in crash analyses)
12. 12NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) documentation reports that the system captures fatalities within 30 days of a crash, which affects how animal-involved injury/fatality counts are measured
13. 13In Pennsylvania, there are more than 20,000 deer-vehicle collisions each year, per the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
14. 14A 2010 U.S. government report on wildlife mortality indicates that deer are a major contributor to vehicle-wildlife collisions on U.S. roads.
15. 15An analysis summarized by the National Safety Council states that about 80% of deer collisions occur during the time when deer are most active near roads (twilight and night).

Deer collisions peak at dawn and dusk and cost billions yearly, but warning signs and reflectors can cut them.