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This first-of-its-kind survey represents a thorough analysis of data supplied by participating state wildlife and transportation agencies, supplemented with information from insurance agencies and wildlife biologists.
FoA's president Priscilla Feral says, "FoA's report points to persuasive evidence from 33 reporting U.S. states that indicates a three fold-increase in deer/auto collisions during the months of October, November, and December: Hunting Season.
Each year, nearly 500,000 collisions between deer and automobiles are reported in the United States. Deer are killed in nearly all of these accidents, and more than 100 humans die as well. Another 10,000 humans suffer injuries inflicted by these accidents.
Insurance companies dole out about $1 billion in claims each year to cover deer/auto collisions, adding financial burden to the human and non-human suffering costs of these accidents.
"As autumn approaches, hunters and their apologists at state wildlife agencies tout the need to 'control' deer numbers as a method for reducing the incidence of deer/auto collisions on the nation's highways," Feral says. "And," she adds, "the budgets of state wildlife agencies are tied to revenues received from hunting licenses and related transactions. These apologists may be apprehensive of probing into any potential linking between increases in deer/auto collisions and the occurrence of hunting."
(Fri Aug 30, 2002 - 12:30:55 pm)