Carol 1, Deer 0 - Car? Don't ask!

My planned week in Ohio started - literally - with a bang. Driving last Wednesday on Route 80 just after dark, and about 75 miles from the Ohio state line, a good-sized doe leaped out just in front of my car, giving me no time to even think about avoiding the collision. I hit the animal at high speed, head on - deploying both airbags and crushing the front of my car. Scary, but I was not seriously hurt, and I'm grateful for that. It was the longest tow I've ever had -150 miles to get to the farm in Chardon, a long time to be talkin' about the weather with the towtruck guy.

State Farm is my insurer - and they've been just fantastic! Their approved repair facility is right in Chardon, they've handled everything quickly and sympathetically. I won't have a car for three weeks, but other than that, considering how much worse it could have been, I'm pretty happy. It is important to note that collision insurance does not cover deer accidents - they are considered an 'act of God' and only covered under comprehensive insurance. Which, I, fortunately, had.

So of course, I've just gotta look up some facts about deer-car accidents. Pennsylvania ranks third in number of car-deer collisions in 2008, according to the State Farm website. West Virginia is first. There are more than 1.5M accidents involving deer in the US every year and 150 fatalities. (I'm assuming those are human fatalities, they don't say how many deer are killed!) State Farm says don't waste your money on deer whistles for your car - they don't work. Most accidents happen in the evening, between 6 and 9pm - and November and early December, which is both mating season for deer and hunting season, is the most common time of year that collisions happen.

Anyway, glad to be safe. Be careful out there!