Wildlife related auto accidents on the rise, study says
Milder than average winter climates throughout the United States in early 2012 had an unforeseen effect according to some safety experts. The warmer winter weather — according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this most recent winter was the fourth warmest in recorded American history – led to an increase in auto collisions involving wildlife. According to a traffic collision research study conducted by the Chubb Insurance Corporation, claims for collisions involving automobiles and wild animals rose to a higher level in the first three months of 2012 than they did in all of 2011. The total number of claims for accidents involving wildlife and automobiles in January, February, and March of this year were 35 percent higher than the total for 2011 in its entirety. The results of this study, if indicative of a larger national trend, would mark a reversal of the previous few years. According to accident report statistics released by State Farm, the most popular insurance provider in the United States, the frequency of auto collisions involving deer has been steadily decreasing over the past three years. Representatives from Chubb Insurance speculated that the higher number of auto collisions involving wild animals that occurred in the first few months of 2012 were most likely the result of more animal activity brought on by the warmer than usual winter weather. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 200 people are killed every year in auto accidents involving wild animals.
