I see the yellow signs up and down the Farm-to-Market roads and occasionally the county roads throughout East Texas warning us that deer may be crossing, or darting, across the road at any time and not to hit them because they can cause a lot of property and personal injuries. Just the other day, while driving down FM 2813 toward Hwy. 69 my daughter yells out, "Deer!" And there she was, standing on the side of the road contemplating whether or not to be like the chicken and cross the road!

In all seriousness though, deer cause a lot of trouble for Texas drivers. According to some data compiled by State Farm Insurance,

The odds [that] Texas drivers will hit a deer in the coming year are 1 in 288, which is a lower risk than the rest of the nation, but 3 percent higher than last year."

It's getting to be that time of the year when we see deer becoming more active and are spotted more often along East Texas roadways. The State Farm report goes on to say that Texas ranks 38th out of all the state's with the potential of hitting a deer (up one spot from last year). They calculated this using their claims data and state issued driver license counts. Texas has an additional 200,000 licensed vehicles and more than 2400 more deer collisions, they estimate our chances are going up that we'll encounter hitting a deer while driving the roads of our great state.

The state topping the list with the most deer collisions is West Virginia, for the 10th year in a row. Chances of hitting a deer in the state is 1 in 41. Then there's Hawaii that comes in 50th on the list, also for the 10th year in a row, with the odds of 1 in 19,000 that you'll hit a deer.

So while driving the roads of East Texas, be aware of the the yellow warning signs that signify a known deer zone and just scan the road and be aware of the possibility of a deer to cross the road and always wear your seatbelt.

Deer Crossing
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