The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
Fall is deemed the season of sweaters and pumpkin spice everything. But, it turns out, October brings something else with it — auto accidents involving big game.
That’s right, a new study by insurance provider State Farm found that this time of year is prime time for this type of collision.
“We know there is an increased risk of collision with deer around dawn and dusk, and also during the October-December breeding season,” Chris Mullen, director of technology research at State Farm, said in a press release.
They also discovered that certain states are far more likely to have drivers run into these animals than others. These are the top five states where State Farm found a driver was most likely to file a claim after hitting a deer, elk or moose.
Contrast these with states like Hawaii, where your odds are 1 in every 18,955 drivers, or even Arizona, with odds at 1 in every 1,175 drivers.
While these odds may be jarring, especially if you’re planning a drive through the mountains to enjoy the fall foliage, don’t be alarmed (or bugled, if you will). No matter your location, State Farm advised drivers to keep your eyes focused on the road and, if you do see the gleam of a big animal looking back at you, to break and avoid swerving if you can.
To compile this list, State Farm looked at internal claims data as well as state-licensed driver counts provided by the Federal Highway Administration to determine the chance a single American motorist has of hitting a deer, elk or moose with their car. Data considered was from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, and was reviewed from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. It’s important to note that State Farm looked at comprehensive and collision claims only and did not include claims involving policyholders with liability insurance coverage only.
According to State Farm, the average cost of hitting a deer between 2015 and 2016 was $3,995.08. (Oh, deer — yes, I had to do it.) While this number is down from the previous year ($4,135), that’s no subtle amount and you likely don’t want to pass the buck (eh?) along to your credit card.
If you live in an area where you’re more likely to hit a deer with your car, it may be a good idea to talk with your insurance provider to see if damage caused by a collision with a deer is covered by your policy. You may also want to talk with them about different factors that are affecting the cost of your policy, which can include everything from your driving record and value of your car to your age and credit history.
While some states put more of an emphasis on your credit track record than others (in terms of determining your insurance policy rates), it can still be helpful to know where your credit stands if you’re shopping for insurance policies. You can view two of your credit scores for free, updated every 30 days, on Credit.com. If you find your scores aren’t quite where you’d like them to be, look for things that could be dragging them down, like errors on your report (you can read this guide to find out how to dispute these problems).
Image: Pascal-L-Marius
April 11, 2023
Uncategorized
September 13, 2021
Uncategorized
August 4, 2021
Uncategorized