Roadway crashes involving animals account for a significant number of crashes each year, according to a new report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Crash databases from the United States Department of Transportation were used to estimate annual numbers of crashes, injuries, and deaths in animal-related crashes during the period of 2020 through 2024.

More than 350,000 crashes, nearly 50,000 injuries, and nearly 300 deaths each year occur when a motorist strikes or attempts to avoid an animal, the authors Ansley Kasha, Lin-Kuei Huang, and principal researcher Brian C. Tefft found.

Crashes most likely to involve animals occurred in the Midwest and Northeast. Animal-related crashes were most prevalent in the fall and peaked in November.

The majority of animal-related crashes that lead to death involved other events more severe than striking the animal, such as striking a tree, colliding with another vehicle, or rolling over, which suggests that taking sudden evasive action to attempt to avoid striking an animal may be riskier than striking it.

The current study was not able to determine the types of animals involved in the crashes examined. While a large majority are suspected to involve deer, a recommendation against taking evasive action may not be generalizable to every situation, particularly when motorists encounter much larger animals such as moose, elk, or bison, the AAA FTS added.

Though a majority of people injured in animal-related crashes were riding in cars or trucks, motorcyclists accounted for nearly half of all fatalities, highlighting the vulnerability of motorcyclists to severe injury or death in the event of a crash with an animal.

Most animal-related crashes occur in rural areas, often in darkness, and on roads with speed limits of 45 miles per hour or higher, highlighting the importance of motorists maintaining safe speeds.