Deer boost auto body repair work

By Walt Frank, wfrank@altoonamirror.com
November is a busy month for automobile body repair shops with deer migration and mating season in full swing, according to PennDOT. Because the antlered deer hunting season starts Nov. 26, it is the leading month for deer-vehicle collisions in Pennsylvania.

From Jan. 1, 2002, to Dec. 31, 2006, 26 percent of the 12,559 collisions reported occurred in November, followed by October with 19 percent of the reported crashes.

However, Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said those numbers may not be accurate.

“There is no sole source or accurate source of deer-vehicle collisions,” Feaser said. “You only get what is reported. If you have a late-model car and side swipe a deer and only your headlight is damaged, you probably won’t report it.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that there are more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle crashes each year resulting in more than $1 billion in vehicle damage. The institution reports that the crashes cause about 150 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.

Between 1993 and 2006, there were 2,274 deaths in fatal animal crashes in the U.S. from 1993 to 2006, according to the institution. Pennsylvania ranked third with 103. Texas led the way with 210, and Wisconsin had 108.

Local auto body repair shops notice when deer-vehicle collisions begin to increase.

“We are starting to see a lot of them again; about two years ago, they dried up,” said Joe Socie, general manager of Professionals Auto Body of Altoona. “I’ve seen deer cause up to $6,000 and $7,000 in damage. If you hit a deer, you can get into some pretty heavy damage.”

One body shop owner said deer-vehicle damage is not difficult to repair.

“They [deer] create a softer impact,” said Bob Myers, owner of Myers Body Shop of Tyrone. “There is not as much frame damage. On the average, they are easier to repair.”

But Chris Marlin, manager of Marlin’s Body Shop, disagrees.

“They are major jobs. A couple I did were $2,400 to $3,000,” Marlin said. “You can easily waste two grand any time you hit a deer.”

Body shops and parts dealers may profit from others’ misfortunes, but insurance companies typically do not.

“Companies certainly do not benefit from the claims filed,” said Carolyn Gorman, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute. “Filing a claim for damage due to a collision with a deer generally would not result in a rate increase.

“However, if a driver filed several claims for this, rates probably would go up because clearly the driver poses a greater insurance risk than someone who does not drive in areas densely populated with deer.”

One of the insurance com-pany’s roles is to provide customers with tips to avoid such collisions, said Donna Picciocchi, spokeswoman for Allstate Insurance Co.

“We are in the business to insure the risks that people face every day but also to help educate people on how to avoid accidents such as these. The impact that deer collisions have on Allstate is that they increase the frequency of automobile accidents.”

A combination of human and naturally induced factors leads to the number of deer-vehicle collisions in the fall.

Human factors include farmers harvesting crops, people in the woods enjoying the foliage and the startup of small game hunting season, followed by antlered-deer season, Feaser said.

The natural factor is deer breeding season, which begins as early as September.

“Even if you remove the human factor, you still have the rut, the deer breeding season,” Feaser said. “Deer behave in unpredictable manners. They may stop in the middle of the road, run across the road back and forth, even approach traffic. They are preoccupied with finding the opposite sex.”

Hunting actually is beneficial, Feaser said

“Without hunting, it would be worse,” he said. “It removes excess deer from the population. Without hunting, the numbers [of collisions] would only increase. There are even more collisions in areas where hunting is not permitted.”

Deer-vehicle collisions also peak in May during the deer birthing season.

“Before a doe gives birth, she pushes off last year’s fawns,” Feaser said. They want to be by themselves when they give birth. Now you have fawns who are yearlings out on their own for the first time.”

PennDOT and Game Commission officials advise motorists to be extremely cautious of deer at this time of the year.

“Stay alert, be aware that deer may dart onto the road at any time,” PennDOT spokesman Luke Webber said. “If you are driving in a wooded area, reduce your speed. Another thing to remember, if you see one deer crossing the road, they usually travel in groups.”

“If you are driving at dusk or dawn, slow down, keep your eyes on the edge of the road, as well as what is in front of you,” Feaser said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.