Whenever I see the ads promising cheap car insurance, I think of all my friends and relatives who have ever hit a deer.
You really can’t walk in a room of people in Western Wisconsin without hearing about the latest deer vs. car incident. We happen to share the road with those animals who leap out of the ditch when you least expect it. It’s a fact of life in this neck of the woods.
But when your car ends up with a 6-point hood ornament, will that low-cost insurance cover you? That’s the question I think of every time I see those ads.
The answer depends on whether you have comprehensive car insurance coverage. It pays for damage to your car resulting from something other than a car accident. Things like animals, hail, fire, glass, vandalism and theft. Comprehensive insurance also tends to be the type of coverage people drop once their cars gets older – or if they are searching for the lowest possible premium.
There are three important types of protection you can get with car insurance: liability, collision and comprehensive. A low-cost insurance quote may end up only selling you liability coverage. It’s what state law requires you to own, and it pays for damage you cause to others. Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle from a car accident, and as mentioned above, comprehensive pays for things that don’t involve another car. Both of those are optional, but essential, if you want to fully protect your vehicle(s).
Tips for Avoiding Deer on Wisconsin Roads
Now, back to the deer. I plugged “deer accidents” into my search engine and learned a lot! Fall is the season when the most accidents occur, not surprisingly, because deer are searching for mates, especially in November. (And it’s hunting season, so they are running for their lives.)
I thought Wisconsin would be the top state for accidents involving deer, but it’s not. Several other states, including Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan, have more incidents each year than we do in Wisconsin. Auto insurance claims average about $2,800 and thousands more if there is an injury, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
Just remember you need the proper insurance coverage in order to file those claims. We work with more than 50 insurance companies, so we can help you find the coverage you need at the price you expect. Stop in the office or give us a call if you want to swap deer stories or learn about comprehensive insurance and more.
Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with these tips for sharing the road with deer:
- Wear your seatbelt or motorcycle helmet. They greatly improve your chances of avoiding injury if you hit a deer.
- To better spot approaching deer, use your high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic.
- Dusk and dawn are times of day when you should be particularly attentive to deer crossing your path.
- If you see a deer in the road, don’t swerve; stay in your lane, or you may lose control and hit an oncoming car.
- If you hit a deer and it stays on the road, be sure to call the sheriff right away, or it could pose danger to other motorists.
