Iowa ranks third in the nation in a new survey listing how likely drivers are to run into a deer.
State Farm Insurance conducts the annual survey and published the latest results this week. The survey uses claims data and statistics from the Federal Highway Administration.
According to their report, State Farm says 1.23 million U.S. crashes were caused by a deer between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
West Virginia tops the list for the sixth year in a row. Odds of striking a deer in West Virginia are 1 in 40 according to the survey. South Dakota and Iowa swapped places on the list compared to last year.
In third place, Iowa drivers face a 1 in 71.9 chance of striking a deer over the next 12 months according to the survey.
Illinois ranks 26th on the list, with drivers there facing a 1 in 162 chance of hitting a deer.
Nationally, the report says the probability of hitting a deer is 1 in 171. That’s roughly equal to the odds that you will be audited by the IRS.
November is the month during which the most deer-vehicle crashes happen, followed by October.
