Animal-Vehicle Crash Fatality Data
Total National Animal-Vehicle Fatal Crashes and Fatalities
NOTE: Data below is related to all reported animal-vehicle crashes, and not just deer-vehicle crashes
Top States for Fatalities from Animal-Vehicle Crashes by Year
NOTE: Data below is related to all reported animal-vehicle crashes, and not just deer-vehicle crashes
1994 | 1995 | 1996
1997 | 1998 | 1999
2000 | 2001 | 2002
2003 | 2004 | 2005
2006 | 2007 | 2008
2009 | 2010 | 2011
2012 | 2013
Fatality Information from FARS
Download the 1994–2013 Fatalities by State spreadsheet (XLS)
State Animal-Vehicle Crash Fatality Data
Connecticut Data
Notes:
a A reportable motor vehicle crash involves one or more vehicles and results in death, injury, or property damage of at least $1,000.
b From April 1, 992 to December 31, 2006 the crash data does not include property damage incidents reported on non-state-maintained roadways.
c From 2008 to 2012, the crash data include the crashes related to animal or foreign object in road.
d In some cases a fatality may result from what is initially reported as an injury.
e Report sometimes completed by law enforcement whenever an animal-vehicle incident occurs.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Illinois Data
Notes:
a Defined as an occurrence which originates on public roadways involving a moving motor vehicle producing death, injury, or property damage in excess of $500.
b Only crashes occurring on state maintained roadways and fatal crashes were recorded in crash database.
c Data for crashes investigated by the City of Chicago were excluded.
d The law regarding the reporting threshold for property damage was amended, effective January 1, 2009as follows: “When all drivers involved in crash are insured, the amount of damage to any one person’s property that must be reported increased from $500 to $1,500. If any driver does not have insurance, the threshold remains at $500. The change did not affect the reporting of injury or fatal crashes.”
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Iowa Data
Notes:
a Traffic crash defined as Iowa law requires motorists to report any motor vehicle crash which involved one or more vehicles and results in death, injury or property damage of at least $1,000.
b Total deer herd size post-hunt population estimates based upon simulation models.
c Salvaged kill recorded by DNR conversation officers and unsalvaged kill reported by DOT (Supplied by Iowa DNR).
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Maryland
Notes:
a A reportable crash is an incident causing an injury or fatality or enough vehicle property damage to tow (a crash fatality must occur within 30 days of the incident).
b Animal-vehicle crashes before 2006 are defined by an animal as the first harmful event. From 2006 to the present these incidents are defined by an animal as a first harmful event or as a first or second contributing factor.
c Carcass removal data from Maryland State Highway Administration Large Animal Removal Reporting Systems (LARRS). Data from state-maintained roadways only.
d 2001 carcass data fro part of the year.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Michigan
Notes:
a Motor vehicle crash defined as a crash that involves a motor vehicle in transport on a public traffic way (in Michigan) and results in injury, death or at least $400.00 in property damage.
b Pre-hunt white-tailed deer herd population estimated from Deer Management Units. Rounded to the nearest thousand.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Minnesota
Notes:
a Motor vehicle crash defined as a crash that involves a motor vehicle in transport on a public traffic-way in Minnesota and results in at least $1,000.00 ($500 before 8/1/94) in property damage.
b Pre-hunt white-tailed deer herd population estimates.
c Sum of information from MN DOT Monthly Unsalvageable vehicle-killed report and possession permits obtained from MN law enforcement. Total numbers are believed to not include data from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
d Lower than expected data point. Cause unknown.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
New Hampshire
Notes:
a A motor vehicle crash in New Hampshire is defined as one resulting in a fatality, injury, or property damage of at least $1,000.00.
b Deer population estimates from New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
c Information provided by New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Deer carcasses for which road-kill slips are received.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
New York
Notes:
a Reportable crashes in New York are those resulting in death, personal injury, or more than $1,000 in property damage. Property damage crash reports are primarily filed by the motorist involved pre-1997 and 2000 to 2005. Property damage crash reports were primarily filed by the investigating police agency involved from 1997 to 2000 and 2006 to 2008. From approximately 2008/2009 to 2011 the NYSDOT database included “non-reportable” crashes (i.e., property damage crashes with under $1,000 in damage). Crash data from 2009 to 2013 includes New York City. In July 2001 the crash reports in New York started to include deer-involvement (rather than just animal-involvement) as a potential contributing crash factor.
b Animal-vehicle crash data from New York State Department of Motor Vehicles as provided to New York State Department of Transportation is for state-maintained roadways only (1993 to 2004). It has been estimated that these crashes represent, on average, about 53 percent of the reported animal-vehicle collisions statewide (1994 to 2004). Data from 2009 to 2013 includes New York City.
c Includes only deer carcass removals by New York State Department of Transportation and their contractors along state-maintained roadways.
d Does not include police-reported property-damage only crash reports.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Ohio
Notes:
a A crash in Ohio is defined as an occurrence involving a moving motor vehicle that produces bodily injury (including fatal injury) and property damage. Ohio law requires that a crash be reported if more than $150 (pre-1997) and $400 in property damage occurs (1997 to present).
b Number of one-vehicle-involved animal crash type for property damage crashes, fatalities, and injuries noted in Ohio Traffic Crash Facts (1994 to 1999), total/fatal/injury non-driver error animal action crashes (2000), and number of deer-vehicle crashes, fatalities, and injuries (2001 to 2013). Change in crash report form in 2000.
c Estimates from Ohio Department of Natural Resources model. Estimates for 2007 and 2008 are rounded off results from model.
d Crash, fatality, and injury data were recorded on 7/1/94 for 1994 and 7/1/95 for 1995.
e Number of unsalvageable deer carcasses removed by the Ohio Department of Transportation along state-maintained roadways.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Texas
Notes:
a Crash data for 2001 and earlier includes incidents with a fatality, injury, and/or property damage of $1,000 and at least one vehicle is towed.
b Crash data for 2003 and after includes incidents with a fatality. injury, and/or property damage of $1000.
c Consists of the sum of incapacitating injuries, non-incapacitating injuries, and possible injuries.
d Estimates based on distance sampling survey methdology by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Wisconsin
Notes:
a A reportable crash is defined as a crash resulting in injury or death of any person, any damage to government-owned non-vehicle property to an apparent extent of $200 or more, or total damage to property owned by any one person to an apparent extent of $1000 ($500 before 1/1/96) or more.
b Estimated statewide pre-hunt white-tailed deer population size.
c Sum of deer carcasses removed by contractors of Wisconsin DNR and salvaged with free permits. Fiscal year data, from the beginning of July of previous year to the end of June in the year recorded.
Users of this information are advised to contact their local state departments of transportation and natural resources to confirm and verify the above information.
Additional Information
2000 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2001 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2002 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2003 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2004 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2005 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2006 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2007 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2008 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2009 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2010 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2011 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)
2012 Deer Crash monograph (PDF)