Car-Deer Crashes On The Rise

By DOUG DONNELLY

Advance Editor

If you are a male between the ages of 35 and 44, and drive on a two-lane roadway during the weekday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., pay particular attention for deer this month.

Statistically speaking, people who meet that criteria are most likely to be involved in a vehicle-deer crash in the state of Michigan.

"The deer are everywhere," said Tom Garner, owner of Garner's Precision Collision on Rodesiler Hwy. in Deerfield. "I go for coffee every morning in Blissfield and I see them all over."

Garner also sees the remnants of car-deer crashes in his shop. One customer brought a car in Friday after hitting a deer in Palmyra.

"It's 75 to 80 percent of my business," Garner said. "The deer are so big and cause so much damage. Most of the time, the cars are totaled. You really have to watch for them."

"A vehicle crash with a large animal can be just as destructive as one with another vehicle," said Michigan State Police. "The most serious vehicle-deer traffic crashes occur when drivers veer to avoid the animal and hit another vehicle or a fixed object such as a tree or the vehicle rolls over."

The Michigan deer herd is estimated to be around 2 million and they are most active from October through December, which is when most vehicle-deer crashes take place.

In 2024, the Michigan State Police traffic crash reporting system says that there were 58,000 vehicle-deer crashes across Michigan in rural, suburban, and city settings. About 80 percent of those crashes were on two-lane roads. The bulk of those crashes occur between 8-9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

In Lenawee County, there were 866 car-deer crashes reported in 2024, resulting in 38 injuries and 821 property damage crashes. In Monroe County, there were 563 crashes, resulting in 25 injuries.

The state of Michigan has seen a dramatic increase in car-deer collisions over the past half-decade, growing from 51,103 in 2020 to 58,324 last year.

The biggest month for traffic crashes involving deer is November, which had more than 10,000 such crashes across the state in 2024 – the only month that reached that milestone. Most crashes occur between 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m.

2024 summary from the Michigan State Police:

• Deer involved traffic crashes decreased one percent from 58,806 in 2023 to 58,324 in 2024.

• Deer involved fatalities decreased 26 percent from 19 in 2023 to 14 in 2024.

• 55.79 percent were male, and 44.11 percent were female in deer involved traffic crashes.

80.82 percent of deer involved fatalities and injuries were wearing a shoulder and lap belt restraint.

• November had the highest number of deer involved traffic crashes by month with 10,017 total crashes.

• Weekdays had the highest number of deer involved traffic crashes.

• There were 58,324 total deer involved traffic crashes in 2024, and 66,137 total individuals involved in these crashes, indicating that most deer involved crashes involved single occupant vehicles.

• Deer involved traffic crashes occurred most between 6 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m.