The time of year when leaves begin to change and there is a nip in the air is also the time that deer get more active as they look to mate. That makes them more of a danger to humans. Allison Lowry, of Media, Pa., lives in a suburban development surrounded by wooded areas. Families of deer have been gathering in the woods for weeks, she said. People and pets don’t seem to scare them away either. “The deer are everywhere right now. They’re becoming very domesticated. They aren’t afraid anymore,” Lowry said. “A family of about eight of them the other day walked from the woods in my back yard to my neighbor’s yard, crossed the street and walked across my other neighbor’s lawn and into their back yard.” The casual attitude from the animals can make November the worst month for animal-vehicle crashes, according to a press release from the Highway Loss Data Institute.

The HLDI, part of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, recently studied insurance claims for animal strikes month by month from 2005 to 2008. Insurance claims for animal collisions were nearly three times higher in November than in any other month. The insurance claims didn’t always specify what type of animal struck the vehicle but the majority of the time it was deer, according to the study. “Urban sprawl means suburbia and deer habitat intersect in many parts of the country,” Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president, said in a press release. “If you’re driving in areas where deer are prevalent, the caution flag is out, especially in November.”

State Farm, the nation’s largest auto insurer, said animal collisions have increased 14.9 percent in the last five years.

While most animal-vehicle collisions do not result in death, fatalities are also increasing, according to the HLDI.

Matt Schneider, of Philadelphia, said he nearly missed hitting a deer with his Honda while driving passed a wooded area.

“I almost hit a deer not too long ago,” Schneider said. “I was driving home from work and it just shot out from between some trees. I slowed down and there was a whole group of them behind him.”

He said he honked his car horn to get the deer to move away from the roadway.

“They ran away after that. I was lucky I didn’t hit them,” Schneider said.

Who Hits Most Deer?

Texas, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are the top three states in terms animal collision-related deaths. From 1993 to 2007, Texas had 227 deaths, Wisconsin had 123 and Pennsylvania had 112.

Most of the fatalities also occurred in October or November, according to the study.

“The months with the most crash deaths coincide with fall breeding season,” Anne McCartt, IIHS’s senior vice president for research, said in a press release. “Crashes in which people are killed are most likely to occur in rural areas and on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher. They’re also more likely to occur in darkness, at dusk or at dawn.”

Motorcycles are even more dangerous when it comes to fatalities in an animal-vehicle collision. Riders typically made up half of the animal-vehicle crash deaths each year, even though there are fewer motorcycles registered on the road compared to other vehicles.

According to the study, 60 percent of people riding in vehicles without a seat belt were killed and 65 percent of motorcyclists riding without a helmet were killed.

“A majority of the people killed in these crashes weren’t killed by contact with the animal,” McCartt said. “As with other kinds of crashes, safety belts and motorcycle helmets could have prevented many of the deaths.”

Although deer whistles and roadside reflectors are sometimes said to prevent deer from crossing the roadway there is no guarantee a deer won’t decide to cross the road at the absolute worst time for you and your vehicle.

State Farm insurance offered some driving tips to help you stay safe and avoid crunching an unsuspecting animal.

Always obey the speed limit and wear a seat belt.

Pay attention to “deer crossing” signs and look further down the road, including on the shoulder.

Use highbeams at night when possible and be watchful in wooded areas or areas near water.

If you see one deer, there are sure to be others nearby.

Be alert at dusk and dawn, when deer often feed.

If you see a deer on the roadway and there isn’t a driver close behind , reduce your speed, tap your brakes and sound your horn.

If you flash your headlights, a deer may move since they often fixate on headlights.

If a collision is unavoidable, do not swerve to try to avoid the animal. Maintain control of the vehicle. Swerving may increase the risk of injury and damage to the vehicle.

Following a collision, call police and your insurance company.

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