Is your Auto Insurance coverage prepared for Deer season?

Autumn is the peak season for collisions involving vehicles and deer. Deer migration and mating season generally runs from October through December. Add that along with hunting season and they cause a dramatic increase in the movement of the deer population. As a result, more deer-vehicle collisions occur in this period than at any other time of the year. During this three month period the odds of you hitting a deer doubles, and for the month of November, it triples. Auto insurance claims involving deer spike just the same.


     Thus there's no better time to review your auto insurance coverage than now to see how well you are covered (if at all) in case you hit a deer. Comprehensive coverage is the part of auto insurance that covers your vehicle in case you were to hit a deer. When that happens, comprehensive coverage will pay for the damage up to the value of the vehicle minus whatever deductible you're carrying.


     One thing that many drivers do during this period is add comprehensive coverage. Those who already have comprehensive coverage on their vehicle can also increase coverage by lowering their comprehensive deductible. Many people feel it's a good idea to carry comprehensive coverage in the fall months (or better their coverage by lowering deductible), and then change the coverage back again in January, when the risk of hitting deer goes back down.




Let's look at some Deer – Vehicle Statistics

• The national cost per claim average in 2015 was $4,135, up 6% from 2014.

• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) noted that deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. cause about 200 fatalities annually.

• An estimated 1.25 million deer-vehicle collisions occur in the U.S. each year, costing more than $4 billion in vehicle damage.

• The hours between dusk and dawn are high risk times. from 5 p.m. to midnight, and 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Cost of adding or increasing comprehensive coverage
   
     This is the part that may surprise you. If you're not already carrying both comprehensive and collision coverage, chances are that you are driving an older vehicle. Most companies will allow you to have comprehensive coverage without carrying collision coverage. So by only adding comprehensive coverage without collision coverage, the premium isn't nearly as high as having both coverages.... Many vehicles will only increase ten dollars or less per month by only adding comprehensive coverage. However, there is a downside to this strategy, see next paragraph.




Quick word on deer collisions and collision coverage


    As I've mentioned before, when you hit a deer it is not filed under collision coverage. It is filed under comprehensive coverage..... However, if you swerve to miss a deer and hit something else then it falls under collision coverage. So if a deer or any other animal causes you to run off the road and hit something else, Not only will that fall under collision coverage, but one car collision claims will also go on your driving record is an at fault accident. Something to keep in mind.


Summary: Increasing auto insurance coverage protection against deer collisions


     As mentioned before it is very easy to adjust your auto insurance coverage at any time. What you'll need to do to protect yourself against deer is add comprehensive coverage, if you don't already have it. If you are already carrying comprehensive coverage, you can also lower your deductible during peak deer season.This would lower your out of pocket expense if you were to hit a deer.


      Another part of your policy that you would want to check on is medical payments coverage in case you or any of your passengers get injured from a deer accident. You can either add medical payments coverage to your policy if you don't already have it. If you do already have medical payments coverage, you may want to look into increasing that coverage. See how much more that would cost for the next higher level and the level above that and compare the prices. You may decide it is worth increasing coverage.


    If you would like me to run an auto insurance quote for you, simply click on the link below. Then click on the state you reside in. And as always, I handle all quotes personally and privately.


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