SCRANTON, Pa. -- With the arrival of fall comes an added danger on the roads -- more deer are on the move, increasing your chances are of hitting one with your vehicle.
When it comes to deer-related crashes, the Keystone State comes out on top. A new study from State Farm Insurance ranks Pennsylvania number in projected crashes with deer. We also took home first place last year.
"I was calling to get some insurance for a car for my daughter recently and when I did, she asked me if I wanted the insurance that would cover deer, and then she asked me, 'What state are you from?' and I said, 'Pennsylvania.' She goes, 'Oh, I'm just going to assume that you want it,'" said PennDOT official James May.
And these crashes are costly. We saw a Jeep taken to Kelly's Collision in Scranton after hitting a deer.
"I mean there's some times they come in and the whole car is hit from one end to the other, or it could just be a door or a bumper," said Amy Lees of Kelly's Collision.
While the car may not appear to have much damage, repairs are going to cost over $7,000.
So how to avoid a costly crash?
"First of all, slow down," May advised.
Officials say drivers should be extra cautious when driving to and from work as deer are most active at dawn and dusk. And if you see one deer, there are probably more to follow.
"Make sure you don't overreact if you do see a deer. Many times, the serious crashes that we see are not necessarily because of the deer, but because somebody sees a deer pull out and they swerve too much to try to avoid it," said May.
If you do hit a deer or see a deer along the road, you can call 1-800-FIX -ROAD, or if the deer is injured but not killed, call the Pennsylvania Game Commission.