Home > Deer / Automobile Collisions
Believe it or not, when it comes to our worst enemy in the animal kingdom, sharks, alligators, snakes and other commonly feared animals need not apply. In fact, none of the "terrifying" animals portrayed as "killers" in our culture are responsible for the most human deaths.
The animals that claim the largest number of lives in the United States are deer. Statistics provided by the United States Department of Transportation indicate that car accidents involving deer on roads cost nearly 100 human lives and millions of dollars in insurance claims each year. The average deer / automobile collision results in approximately $2,000 per claim nationally.
While the percentage of deer collisions resulting in a fatality is relatively low in Kentucky as compared to the nation, it is extremely important to recognize this ever-present risk, especially at this time of year when nearly 50 percent of all collisions with deer occur.
On this page, you can view the following information:
Updated 09/07/07
There has been a slight downward trend in deer / auto collisions over the last four years in Kentucky.
| Year | Number of Deer Collisions | Fatalities | Injured |
| 2002 | 3,322 | 3 | 243 |
| 2003 | 3,144 | 2 | 198 |
| 2004 | 3,067 | 3 | 213 |
| 2005 | 2,843 | 1 | 215 |
| 2006 | 2,928 | 1 | 180 |
(Source: KSP CRASH)

Deer / Auto Collisions by Month
October, November, and December months see a huge increase in deer activity because of the run of mating season. Nearly 48% of all collisions with deer annually take place during this three-month period. The following shows an average number of collisions in the Commonwealth per month over the past five-year period. November is by far the month of highest deer / auto collision incidence.
| Month | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Total | Average |
| January | 231 | 167 | 180 | 243 | 195 | 1,016 | 203 |
| February | 195 | 136 | 173 | 190 | 146 | 840 | 168 |
| March | 198 | 191 | 162 | 167 | 186 | 904 | 181 |
| April | 167 | 228 | 183 | 144 | 170 | 892 | 178 |
| May | 277 | 223 | 184 | 193 | 220 | 1,097 | 219 |
| June | 240 | 271 | 188 | 201 | 212 | 1,112 | 222 |
| July | 177 | 176 | 154 | 133 | 145 | 785 | 157 |
| August | 143 | 100 | 119 | 95 | 108 | 565 | 113 |
| September | 150 | 152 | 186 | 111 | 145 | 744 | 149 |
| October | 406 | 467 | 393 | 401 | 370 | 2,037 | 407 |
| November | 848 | 767 | 825 | 713 | 692 | 3,845 | 769 |
| December | 290 | 266 | 320 | 252 | 339 | 1,467 | 293 |

High Detail Kentucky Deer Collision Map
Updated 09/07/07
This map shows concentrations of reported deer collisions over a five-year period in the month of November.

Click here or on the image thumbnail
for a high resolution deer
collision
map in Adobe pdf format.
Deer Collisions by County - Total Percentage
The map below shows an average number of deer / auto collisions for each county over the past five years.

Check here to see a larger map (File size 2.13 MB, print size 34X44 inches, Adobe Acrobat Reader is Required)
| County | Five Year Total | Annual Average |
| ADAIR | 127 | 25 |
| ALLEN | 119 | 24 |
| ANDERSON | 83 | 17 |
| BALLARD | 39 | 8 |
| BARREN | 300 | 60 |
| BATH | 64 | 13 |
| BELL | 67 | 13 |
| BOONE | 669 | 134 |
| BOURBON | 45 | 9 |
| BOYD | 262 | 52 |
| BOYLE | 60 | 12 |
| BRACKEN | 75 | 15 |
| BREATHITT | 33 | 7 |
| BRECKINRIDGE | 64 | 13 |
| BULLITT | 82 | 16 |
| BUTLER | 28 | 6 |
| CALDWELL | 70 | 14 |
| CALLOWAY | 148 | 30 |
| CAMPBELL | 456 | 91 |
| CARLISLE | 21 | 4 |
| CARROLL | 110 | 22 |
| CARTER | 119 | 24 |
| CASEY | 23 | 5 |
| CHRISTIAN | 266 | 53 |
| CLARK | 64 | 13 |
| CLAY | 42 | 8 |
| CLINTON | 42 | 8 |
| CRITTENDEN | 47 | 9 |
| CUMBERLAND | 18 | 4 |
| DAVIESS | 258 | 52 |
| EDMONSON | 49 | 10 |
| ELLIOTT | 55 | 11 |
| ESTILL | 30 | 6 |
| FAYETTE | 117 | 23 |
| FLEMING | 48 | 10 |
| FLOYD | 146 | 29 |
| FRANKLIN | 388 | 78 |
| FULTON | 34 | 7 |
| GALLATIN | 37 | 7 |
| GARRARD | 29 | 6 |
| GRANT | 232 | 46 |
| GRAVES | 223 | 46 |
| GRAYSON | 175 | 35 |
| GREEN | 29 | 6 |
| GREENUP | 146 | 29 |
| HANCOCK | 75 | 15 |
| HARDIN | 349 | 70 |
| HARLAN | 38 | 8 |
| HARRISON | 130 | 26 |
| HART | 99 | 20 |
| HENDERSON | 440 | 88 |
| HENRY | 124 | 25 |
| HICKMAN | 29 | 6 |
| HOPKINS | 621 | 124 |
| JACKSON | 38 | 8 |
| JEFFERSON | 434 | 87 |
| JESSAMINE | 68 | 14 |
| JOHNSON | 69 | 14 |
| KENTON | 416 | 83 |
| KNOTT | 61 | 12 |
| KNOX | 134 | 27 |
| LARUE | 71 | 14 |
| LAUREL | 159 | 32 |
| LAWRENCE | 34 | 7 |
| LEE | 8 | 2 |
| LESLIE | 21 | 4 |
| LETCHER | 17 | 3 |
| LEWIS | 66 | 13 |
| LINCOLN | 66 | 13 |
| LIVINGSTON | 120 | 24 |
| LOGAN | 240 | 48 |
| LYON | 158 | 32 |
| MADISON | 156 | 31 |
| MAGOFFIN | 47 | 9 |
| MARION | 54 | 11 |
| MARSHALL | 343 | 69 |
| MARTIN | 19 | 4 |
| MASON | 207 | 41 |
| MCCRACKEN | 341 | 68 |
| MCCREARY | 42 | 8 |
| MCLEAN | 73 | 15 |
| MEADE | 169 | 34 |
| MENIFEE | 30 | 6 |
| MERCER | 73 | 15 |
| METCALFE | 89 | 18 |
| MONROE | 11 | 2 |
| MONTGOMERY | 54 | 11 |
| MORGAN | 91 | 18 |
| MUHLENBERG | 332 | 66 |
| NELSON | 222 | 44 |
| NICHOLAS | 31 | 6 |
| OHIO | 203 | 41 |
| OLDHAM | 256 | 51 |
| OWEN | 38 | 8 |
| OWSLEY | 19 | 4 |
| PENDLETON | 153 | 31 |
| PERRY | 33 | 7 |
| PIKE | 84 | 17 |
| POWELL | 54 | 11 |
| PULASKI | 172 | 34 |
| ROBERTSON | 8 | 2 |
| ROCKCASTLE | 68 | 14 |
| ROWAN | 250 | 50 |
| RUSSELL | 87 | 17 |
| SCOTT | 176 | 35 |
| SHELBY | 292 | 58 |
| SIMPSON | 82 | 16 |
| SPENCER | 54 | 11 |
| TAYLOR | 173 | 35 |
| TODD | 64 | 13 |
| TRIGG | 170 | 34 |
| TRIMBLE | 65 | 13 |
| UNION | 90 | 18 |
| WARREN | 305 | 61 |
| WASHINGTON | 43 | 9 |
| WAYNE | 36 | 7 |
| WEBSTER | 124 | 25 |
| WHITLEY | 51 | 10 |
| WOLFE | 64 | 16 |
| WOODFORD | 82 | 16 |
(Source: KSP CRASH)
Deer / Auto Collisions by Time of the Day for November

| Time of Day | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Average | Percent of Total |
| 12:00 PM - 12:59PM | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 7.4 | 0.96% |
| 1:00 PM - 1:59PM | 6 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7.6 | 0.99% |
| 2:00 PM - 2:59 PM | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7.2 | 0.94% |
| 3:00 PM - 3:59 PM | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0.91% |
| 4:00 PM - 4:59 PM | 24 | 29 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 21.6 | 2.81% |
| 5:00 PM - 5:59 PM | 99 | 79 | 94 | 77 | 74 | 84.6 | 11.00% |
| 6:00 PM - 6:59 PM | 142 | 121 | 123 | 111 | 114 | 122.2 | 15.89% |
| 7:00 PM - 7:59 PM | 87 | 74 | 83 | 79 | 78 | 80.2 | 10.43% |
| 8:00 PM - 8:59 PM | 55 | 56 | 60 | 61 | 49 | 56.2 | 7.31% |
| 9:00 PM - 9:59 PM | 60 | 50 | 60 | 61 | 49 | 56.2 | 6.63% |
| 10:00 PM - 10:59 PM | 45 | 55 | 43 | 32 | 35 | 42 | 5.46% |
| 11:00 PM - 11:59 PM | 38 | 38 | 37 | 29 | 38 | 36 | 4.68% |
| 12:00 AM - 00:59 AM | 24 | 22 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 23.6 | 3.07% |
| 1:00 AM - 1:59 AM | 18 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15.6 | 2.03% |
| 2:00 AM - 2:59 AM | 17 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 1.82% |
| 3:00 AM - 3:59 AM | 19 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 14.6 | 1.90% |
| 4:00 AM - 4:59 AM | 22 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 16.8 | 2.19% |
| 5:00 AM - 5:59 AM | 26 | 29 | 34 | 27 | 21 | 27.4 | 3.56% |
| 6:00 AM - 6:59 AM | 59 | 42 | 56 | 61 | 40 | 51.6 | 6.71% |
| 7:00 AM - 7:59 AM | 38 | 26 | 46 | 33 | 40 | 36.6 | 4.76% |
| 8:00 AM - 8:59 AM | 22 | 20 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 16.2 | 2.11% |
| 9:00 AM - 9:59 AM | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 10.4 | 1.35% |
| 10:00 AM - 10:59 AM | 8 | 9 | 7 | 21 | 9 | 10.8 | 1.40% |
| 11:00 AM - 11:59 AM | 9 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 8.2 | 1.07% |
(Source: KSP CRASH)
Defensive Driving Tips to avoid hitting a deer
- Keep a close watch for deer in the early morning and evening hours. Deer are most active during these times.
- Be especially alert and drive with caution when you are moving through a known deer crossing zone.
- Use your high-beam headlights whenever possible.
- Upon seeing a deer, immediately slow down. Do not swerve - because this can confuse deer as to where to run. It could also cause you to lose control and hit a tree or another car.
- Look for other deer after one has crossed the road. Deer are often found in herding packs.
- Always wear your seatbelt. Most people injured and/or killed in deer - automobile collisions were not wearing their seat belt.
What to do when you Strike a Deer
If you are unable to avoid a collision with a deer, take the following steps:
- Do not touch the animal! The deer, in attempting to move or get away, could hurt you or itself.
- Remove your automobile from the roadway, if possible.
- Call the police.