Deer-Related Crashes Increasing In Virginia As Loudoun Tops List

VIRGINIA — Autumn is a dangerous time of the year on Virginia roadways, for both drivers and deer. In 2019, Loudoun County topped the list of counties and localities with the most deer-related crashes in all of Virginia, with the most collisions occurring in November, according to a review by AAA Mid-Atlantic of crash data provided by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Altogether, Virginia witnessed 6,523 crashes involving deer collisions in 2019, AAA Mid-Atlantic found. The majority, or 53 percent, of those vehicle-deer incidents — 3,477 — happened in the last three months of the year.

Loudoun County ranked seventh nationally in animal strikes, with most of the collisions occurring in the latter part of the year, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data.

The data does not include information about the type of animal. However, both the timing of the spike in crashes and the greater damage they cause suggest that most of the collisions involved deer, rather than smaller animals.

Fauquier and Prince William counties ranked second and 10th, respectively, in the tally of Virginia localities and counties with the most vehicle-deer crashes across Virginia in 2019.

"Slow down and use extra caution when traveling through areas with a high and active wildlife population," John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and government affairs, said Thursday in a statement. "Be aware of increased wildlife movement in some regions during certain times of year, such as hunting or mating season.”

The cost of deer crashes has been increasing steadily, mostly due to higher-priced cars and components. In 2018, the average cost of an animal strike claim was $3,875, compared with $2,424 in 2006. The average Virginia deer-related claim in 2018 was $3,956, according to AAA Insurance.

Animal-strike-related insurance claims are more than twice as frequent as the yearly average in November, when the search for a mate keeps the big bucks on the move. Such crashes are five times higher in November than in August.

AAA Insurance recommends that motorists purchase comprehensive insurance, which is the type of insurance that covers animal strikes.

Collisions with deer can be deadly for the driver. In November 2019, a 70-year-old motorcyclist was killed during a crash with a deer on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.

Virginia saw an 11-percent increase in deer crashes in 2019, compared to 2018. The state also saw a 16-percent jump in the number of drivers and vehicle occupants injured in a vehicle-deer crash in 2019 compared to the previous year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.