These are the riskiest months for Arizona drivers to strike an animal
October, November and December are riskiest for AZ drivers; Deer are the most common animal involved
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Take a drive near Lake Pleasant just north of Peoria, and you’ll most likely see wild donkeys roaming freely. They’re an awesome sight but can also be dangerous to drivers.
A viewer provided pictures to On Your Side showing what happened to her car when it, unfortunately, struck a donkey, and the damage can total a vehicle.
“The good thing about them is they are not as quick and they’re not going to jump out in front of you,” said Brian Palmer, a spokesman for State Farm, told On Your Side. “If you do hit one (a donkey), it’s going to create substantial damage because they are very, very, very solid animals,”
The insurance company recently released its annual report on animal-related claims.
Horses are another solid animal, but they don’t top the list of claims. That spot is taken by deer, which seem to get struck a lot during October, November and December due to mating season.
So be extra careful driving in the high country for the next few months.
“These animals are very large, very stout and very solid. So they’re going to create some catastrophic damage to your fenders, your hoods, and your windshields.”
In one instance, an elk was initially hit and pushed down an icy road, but in the nick of time, it avoided a second collision and quickly escaped.
According to State Farm, you are most likely to hit an animal in West Virginia, Montana, followed by Michigan and Pennsylvania.
But besides deer, what’s the next most common animal behind insurance claims? That honor goes to dogs, raccoons, and coyotes. However, damage from coyotes here in Arizona is relatively minor.
“They’re (coyotes) a little more scrawny and a little more wily, and they’re kind of trying to survive. So they’re probably not going to do as much damage. But that does happen,” Palmer said.
Finally, we never like to see Arizona at the bottom of any list. In this case, it’s actually a good thing because Arizona ranks 47th in the nation in terms of the number of animal-related car claims.
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