10 Animals Involved in Most Massachusetts Car-Animal Collisions

Driving at night is not one of my favorite things as I age. Driving at night on tree-lined back roads is something I enjoy even less. It's not just the approaching headlights that can make night travel difficult but the constant threat of a collision with an animal.

Boston-based Public Broadcasting Station GBH reports, "Last year, there were at least 3,886 strikes on deer, according to data from MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation)."

The report says, "That's more than any year since 2002 because of what scientists say is a growing abundance of deer in Massachusetts." GBH says, "146 of the deer collisions last year resulted in injuries."

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife says moose are also a road hazard in Massachusetts.

"Moose on the road are especially hazardous" because their dark color "makes them difficult to see in low light," according to MassWildlife.

MassWildlife says, "Don't swerve to avoid hitting a deer because it may lead to more risk and damage than hitting the deer."

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State Farm Insurance says Massachusetts drivers have a 1 in 85 chance of filing an insurance claim because of hitting an animal on the road. In Rhode Island, the odds are 1 in 75.

State Farm says deer are most likely to be involved in a collision with a motor vehicle. The second most likely is "unidentified animals," followed by rodents, dogs, raccoons, coyotes, turkeys, cattle, birds, and squirrels.

State Farm's website offers "tips to avoid animals on the road," and information about whether your comprehensive car insurance plan covers damage caused by deer or other animal collisions.