Minnesotans Have 1 in 74 Chance at Hitting a Deer This Year

Be careful driving this time of the year. Minnesota is officially in the top 10 states list for the best chance of hitting a deer with your car or motorcycle.

According to Fox 9, a recent study from State Farm insurance showed that Minnesota drivers have a 1 in 74 chance of hitting a deer every time they hit the road. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is also urging motorcyclists to wear a helmet, especially this time of the year, since we've seen 4 deer-motorcycle deaths already in 2017.

Now that we're in the fall season, the deer population is at it's heaviest. Deer are also mating right now, so they are moving around much more. On top of that, Minnesota's gun deer hunting opener is coming in early November, so deer will be running.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says you can decrease your chances of hitting a deer by taking the following precautions:

• Be especially cautious from 6 to 9 p.m., when deer are most active.
• Use high beams as much as possible at night, especially in deer-active areas.
• Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road. If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow down.
• Blow your horn to urge deer to leave the road. Stop if the deer stays on the road, don’t try to go around it.

You can see the full list of deer safety tips on their website here.

The bottom line is we live in an area of the state that has a lot of farm fields and groves, where deer populations are high. Corn is tall right now and deer hide in the rows. Keep your speeds down and eyes on the road. You can't always avoid a deer accident, but these tips can certainly help you increase your chances of staying alive if you hit one.