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EnCompass®
The AAA Companion
Volume 79 Issue 1
Insurance & Financial Services e Story
Animal-Vehicle Collisions in Colorado
Where most collisions occur and what to do if it happens
to you
Animals on roadways present safety hazards to drivers. Although they do appear on roads throughout the year, October through December is an especially high-traffic time for animals moving from one part of their habitats to another while they breed and forage for food.
The average cost per insurance claim on a vehicle involved in a collision with an animal is $2,000.
Drivers that purchase optional comprehensive coverage on their auto insurance policies are covered for the damage. Comprehensive coverage also covers hail, fire, theft, flood, earthquake, explosion, and falling objects.
If you hit an animal
If you can't stop in time, unfortunate as it may be, it is usually safer for you to hit the animal than swerve in an attempt to miss it, which may send you into the path of another car or off the road. After hitting the animal, pull over and call the Colorado State Patrol (dial *CSP from your cell phone in Colorado) or local law enforcement. They can safely remove the animal if it is still on the roadway.
If the animal is still alive, it may be dangerous for you to leave your vehicle. If your vehicle is unsafe to operate or you are injured, stay in your car and wait for help. Call your insurance agent at your earliest opportunity.
Colorado statistics
From 1993 to 2002, 24,678 animal-vehicle collisions were reported on Colorado's roadways. In those collisions, 23 people were killed, 2,266 people sustained injuries and 22,388 of the collisions resulted in property damage, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Among the animals killed in Colorado in animal-vehicle collisions:
| 8,400 deer | 1,612 elk |
| 95 antelope | 141 bears |
| 32 coyote | 6 lynx |
| 9 moose | 16 mountain lions |
| 1 badger | 2 beavers |
Dangerous Colorado locations
A study by the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, examined 100 known linkages, or commonly traveled pathways, between animal habitats and found many cross Colorado roads. The study identified the following locations as being hazardous for drivers and wildlife:
National statistics
The Center for Disease Control has found that one-quarter of all animal-vehicle collisions result in human injury. Nationwide, approximately 200 deaths per year are caused by animal-vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates more than 1.5 million deer collisions take place each year in the United States, costing approximately $1.1 billion in vehicle damage.
Source: RMIIA