You have a better chance of being a twin than hitting an animal with your car, but here are some precautions to take

Staff photo by Tim Barber/ Not Afraid Of Vehicles -- Two female deer casually walk across the road after grazing along a new fence line in the Chickamauga Battlefield midday Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. Staff photo by Tim Barber/ Not Afraid Of Vehicles -- Two female deer casually walk across the road after grazing along a new fence line in the Chickamauga Battlefield midday Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019.

By Mark Pace October 8, 2019 2 min read

With fall comes an increased risk of animal-related crashes, largely due to a spike in collisions with deer during mating and hunting season.

New data quantifies that risk nationally, showing drivers annually have a 1 in 116 chance of colliding with an animal, according to a recently released study from State Farm. There’s a better chance of being born a twin, but the risk is still worth noting, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The state department regularly alerts drivers to be aware of such risks.

There’s a major spike in collisions with deer in Tennessee between October and December. Nearly half of deer-related crashes in the state between 2012 and 2016, when data was last released, occurred during the three fall months. Deer are less aware during mating and hunting season, causing motorists to need to pay extra attention, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Nationally, State Farm estimates there were more than 1.9 million animal collision insurance claims in the U.S. between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.