I found an article in The Times And Democrat about the hunting season in South Carolina and the damage caused by thousands of car collisions with deer each year. According to the article “The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that last year there were 17 deaths attributed to deer and other animal collisions. There were also 1,021 injuries as a result of 3,150 collisions with deer and other animals in 2006 in the state.”
When it comes to insurance claims “the average cost per insurance claim relating to deer collisions is about $3,000, with costs varying depending on the type of vehicle and severity of damage; claims involving medical payments can add thousands of dollars.”
An important piece of information to know if you live in a densely deer populated area is that “Collision with a deer or animals is covered under the comprehensive portion of your automobile policy.” Of course avoiding a collision with a deer is preferable to having to make a claim to your insurer. The article also lists some tips for diminishing the chance of an encounter with a deer and your accelerating vehicle.
Yes, there are morons who hunt to make themselves feel manly. No, not all hunters are like this. A couple of points:
1) Without hunting, the deer population can (and does) swell to the point where the animals literally starve to death in the winter. Which is more humane? Ask any park ranger. Hunting leads the species populations to where they need to be for a healthy environment, overall. Really. And for my money, the most fair fight in a hunt is a hunter with a bow, old-fashioned black powder, or a hunter with a shotgun-and-slug.
2) An even bigger insurance risk (and safety risk!) than deer collisions for people is the possibility of a MOOSE collision. Here in northern New England, moose get hit periodically, and they make a deer look like a dachshund. And they make a car look like a soda can.
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
Posted by: Jerry | October 30, 2007 8:58 PM | Permalink to Comment