States where you are most likely to hit an animal

Canva Your odds of being killed by an animal in the U.S. are incredibly low. An academic analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering all animal-involved deaths from 2008 to 2015 found that Americans have just 1 chance in 1.6 million each year of dying as a result of any interaction at all with animals. And the most common culprits when those tragedies do occur aren’t the alligators, scorpions, or snakes you’d probably expect and fear the most–they’re deer. As people continue to build homes and communities in places deer and other animals have lived for millennia, these creatures are more likely to run into the middle of the road–causing at least 1.9 million vehicular accidents over the year ending June 2022. Accidents specifically involving deer are more common between October and December, which is deer mating season. The odds of hitting a deer are also higher around dawn, as well as during the night when deer are most active and roads are dark. Deer-vehicle crashes are dangerous and expensive, costing drivers north of $4,000 or more depending on the vehicle and the extent of the damage. Stacker used State Farm’s annual animal collision study to rank all 50 states and Washington D.C. by the likelihood a driver there will hit an animal. State Farm bases its rankings on insurance claims filed between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, as well as the number of licensed drivers in each state. True odds may vary, depending on the number of unreported animal collisions and unlicensed drivers. State Farm’s claims analysis also found that the 2021-2022 period was a safer year for drivers and animals on the road than the year prior, with collisions dropping 5.5%. The odds that a driver collides with any animal on the road is about 1 in 115. The other four victims rounding out the top five of car-animal collisions were rodents, dogs, raccoons, and unidentified animals. It may come as no surprise to find that the more rural areas of Appalachia and the Midwest had some of the highest car-animal crash odds in the country, while the desert Southwest had some of the lowest. Curious to see if your state topped the list? Click through to find out–and remember to always keep your eyes on the road, no matter the odds. You may also like: The cost of gasoline the year you started driving #51. Washington D.C. StillRude // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 907 (0.11% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #50. Nevada Brester Irina // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 698 (0.14% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #49. Hawaii John Drew Dow // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 580 (0.17% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #48. Arizona Mattia Cioni // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 441 (0.23% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #47. Florida Tony Campbell // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 408 (0.25% of drivers) – Risk level: Low You may also like: Famous consumer brands that no longer exist #46. Alaska Troutnut // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 395 (0.25% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #45. California M. Vinuesa // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 363 (0.28% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #44. Washington knelson20 // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 250 (0.40% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #43. Connecticut Jennifer Yakey-Ault // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 231 (0.43% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #42. New Mexico Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 222 (0.45% of drivers) – Risk level: Low You may also like: Cost of gold the year you were born #41. Colorado LanaG // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 204 (0.49% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #40. Utah Logan Bush // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 200 (0.50% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #39. New Jersey EQRoy // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 194 (0.52% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #38. Louisiana mark smith nsb // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 178 (0.56% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #37. Oregon Natalia Bratslavsky // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 165 (0.61% of drivers) – Risk level: Low You may also like: Retirement scams to watch out for #36. Texas Henryk Sadura // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 154 (0.65% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #35. New York Andrea Izzotti // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 140 (0.71% of drivers) – Risk level: Low #34. Illinois A.E. Blair Photography // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 139 (0.72% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #33. New Hampshire LMortell // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 130 (0.77% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #32. Delaware VIKVAD // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 122 (0.82% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium You may also like: 15 cars that depreciated the most in 2021 #31. Rhode Island Canva – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 113 (0.88% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #30. Oklahoma ken1979 // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 112 (0.89% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #29. Idaho Arne Beruldsen // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 112 (0.89% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #28. Massachusetts flysnowfly // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 109 (0.92% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #27. Nebraska Amanda Schell // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 107 (0.93% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium You may also like: Most rural counties in America #26. Tennessee Carolyn Franks // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 107 (0.93% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #25. Maryland kathleen collins // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 105 (0.95% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #24. Indiana AlyoshinE // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 95 (1.05% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #23. Alabama Bradley Huchteman // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 94 (1.06% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #22. Ohio Eric Glenn // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 94 (1.06% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium You may also like: States where food stamps are used the most #21. Vermont Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 90 (1.11% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #20. Georgia Charles F. Gibson // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 86 (1.16% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #19. Kentucky Michele Korfhage // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 85 (1.18% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #18. Kansas Photo Spirit // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 83 (1.20% of drivers) – Risk level: Medium #17. North Carolina Tyler Miller // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 77 (1.30% of drivers) – Risk level: High You may also like: Marijuana violations are taking truck drivers off the road, adding more supply chain disruptions #16. Missouri LanaG // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 76 (1.32% of drivers) – Risk level: High #15. Maine MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 75 (1.33% of drivers) – Risk level: High #14. Arkansas Lorri Carter // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 75 (1.33% of drivers) – Risk level: High #13. Virginia Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 72 (1.39% of drivers) – Risk level: High #12. South Carolina David McManus // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 71 (1.41% of drivers) – Risk level: High You may also like: States with the most farmland #11. Minnesota BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 70 (1.43% of drivers) – Risk level: High #10. Wyoming Fotos593 // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 68 (1.47% of drivers) – Risk level: High #9. North Dakota Bram Reusen // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 68 (1.47% of drivers) – Risk level: High #8. Mississippi Canva – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 60 (1.67% of drivers) – Risk level: High #7. Iowa Bella Bender // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 57 (1.75% of drivers) – Risk level: High You may also like: Most popular department stores in America #6. Pennsylvania Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 57 (1.75% of drivers) – Risk level: High #5. Wisconsin Michael Tatman // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 54 (1.85% of drivers) – Risk level: High #4. Michigan StompingGirl // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 51 (1.96% of drivers) – Risk level: High #3. South Dakota Tami Freed // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 51 (1.96% of drivers) – Risk level: High #2. Montana EQRoy // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 44 (2.27% of drivers) – Risk level: High You may also like: 50 women who broke barriers in the business world #1. West Virginia DSBurnside // Shutterstock – Chances of hitting an animal in 2023: 1 in 35 (2.86% of drivers) – Risk level: High