Deer-involved car collisions nearly double in June

FARMINGTON — The increase in the number of collisions between deer and automobiles statewide nearly doubled from May to June, and some officials believe it’s related to the rising summer temperatures.

The insurance company State Farm released data earlier this month that showed more

than 12 percent of all deer collisions in 2016 in New Mexico occurred in June compared to fewer than 7 percent in May, according to a news release.

But drivers worried about experiencing such a collision can be comforted by the fact that the numbers begin to dwindle again in July.

The data — based on State Farm’s claims and the number of state-licensed drivers — also showed there was a 1 in 415 chance that a vehicle in New Mexico would strike a deer in 2016.

The company’s data varies widely from state to state, even among those that border each other. In Arizona, the chances of a deer colliding with a vehicle are 1 in 1,175, while Utah had a 1 in 150 chance and Colorado had a 1 in 264 chance.

State Farm’s numbers are similar to preliminary figures compiled by the New Mexico

Department of Transportation for 2016.

There were 58 deer-involved crashes statewide in June, or 12.2 percent of all crashes for 2016, according to the department’s figures.

June was the month with the most deer-involved collisions in 2016, with 51 occurring in March and 50 taking place in December.

For May 2016, 36 deer-involved crashes occurred statewide, or 7.6 percent of all crashes for 2016. The figure for July 2016 statewide also was 36.