Oh Deer

Stefanie Wilkinson bends the fender off the tire for a customer at Jack’s Body Shop this morning, Friday, Oct. 15. The driver said she hit a deer on the way in from Orofino, Idaho on her way to the Oregon Coast. Jack’s Auto Body sees a lot of this damage in the fall - October through November. At least one customer a week comes to the body shop due to a collision with a deer.

According to State Farm Insurance’s 17th annual deer claim study, Oregon drivers are more likely to hit a deer than drivers in Washington and California.

One out of every 144 Oregon drivers will collide with a deer, according to State Farm statistics.

West Virgina leads the country in vehicle-deer collisions, where one in 37 drivers hits a deer every year.

Deer are most likely to be near roadways at dawn and dusk, and their eyes will reflect back the light of headlights along the side of the road. It’s a good tell, and drivers should key in on their peripheral vision to spot the animals while driving.

Swerving to avoid a deer is the instinctual thing to do, but also one of the most dangerous. Swerving often leads to a vehicle entering the other lane and oncoming traffic.