By Patrick Baron

BLOOMINGTON – A study from State Farm shows Illinois insurance claims for damages caused by collision with a deer have gone down in the past year.

One in 204 Illinois drivers will have to file an insurance claim for such an accident, down from one in 192 last year.

State Farm spokeswoman Missy Dundov explained there isn’t a concrete reason for why the numbers have gone down. Nonetheless, she said as mating season approaches, drivers need to be cautious on the roadways.

“This is the time of year deer are on the move, and you should really be alert when you’re on the roadways,” Dundov explained. “Whether it’s out in the country or in an area that there’s some woods where maybe deer would be hanging out, just make sure where watching you’re driving.”

But while the number of claims have gone down, Dundov explained the average nationwide cost for deer-vehicle claims has gone up.

“We find that an average claim is over $4,000 and that’s up from last year when it was under $4,000,” said Dundov.

Dundov also provided tips on how to be ready for deer. She said deer are most likely to be out at dawn and dusk and if you see a deer on the road, don’t swerve – you may cause a more severe crash.

Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].