Geography of the states most/least likely for vehicle wrecks with animals

The following map identifies the states where one is most and least likely to have a wreck with an animal, not just a deer as depicted in a 2011 post on this blog site. Animals could include bear, bison, cougar (mountain lion/panther), deer, dogs, elk, and a variety of other animals. The data was collected by State Farm Insurance from mid-2022 thru mid-2023.

The top 5 animals as the source of the wreck were per State Farm:

1. Deer (1,288,714)
2. Unidentified animals (207,373)
3. Rodents (94,805)
4. Dogs (55,005)
5. Raccoons (52,054)

Source: State Farm

Based on the map provided above, the ten states most likely to have a collision with an animal are:

1. West Virginia = 1 in 38
2. Montana = 1 in 53
3. Pennsylvania = 1 in 59
4. Michigan = 1 in 60
5. Wisconsin = 1 in 60
6. Iowa = 1 in 63
7. Mississippi = 1 in 64
8. South Dakota = 1 in 69
9. Virginia = 1 in 78
10. Missouri = 1 in 80

And the ten states least likely to have a collision with an animal are:

1. District of Columbia = 1 in 977
2. Nevada = 1 in 770
3. Hawaii = 1 in 710
4. Alaska = 1 in 522
5. Arizona = 1 in 508
6. Florida = 1 in 487
7. California = 1 in 388
8. Washington = 1 in 286
9. Connecticut = 1 in 267
10. New Mexico = 1 in 262

Aside from the various safety precautions that drivers can and should take while operating a motor vehicle, the states are also trying to reduce the likelihood of such collisions by installing an animal crossing over and/or under highways where such accidents tend to be more prevalent. Here in New Mexico, a segment of Interstate 40 just east of Albuquerque was upgraded recently to reduce the possibility of bears and other animals from accessing the highway while also providing a warning to drivers if they do.