Deer In Your Headlights

Well, it is that time of year and I figured I would assist you with some of your auto insurance knowledge:

Do you know what you should do when driving and a deer (or any animal) bolts out in front of you?

Should you:

1. Do anything and everything in your power to avoid it.

or

2. Hit the animal.

For most of us, it is in our human nature to do everything we can to avoid hitting a helpless animal that wanders onto the road. However, it might be the safest thing to do in most cases.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recommends hitting the animal if you have no other option. They explained, “The best thing, unfortunately, in most cases is to hit the animal and try to avoid swerving or doing something that could cause you to lose control and hit somebody else or an object or go off the road and roll over.”

Unfortunately, if you have worked in claims long enough, you have heard numerous statements from drivers explaining how they avoided the deer but struck a curb, a wall, another car, or, in the worst cases, a person.

Here is another question for you: When was the last time you reviewed your auto insurance policy? When was the last time you reviewed your deductibles, coverages, limits, or discounts with an agent or customer service representative? Right now may be a good time.

Last question - if you hit that deer, what coverage protects your vehicle? What would that coverage be if you swerved to miss the deer and struck an object, vehicle, or person?

Now policies differ from state to state, however, in most cases, your comprehensive coverage would protect your vehicle if you hit an animal and your collision coverage would protect you if you hit an object while trying to avoid the animal. Unfortunately, most people don't know this.

That is why it is a good idea to review your coverages, get familiar with your policy, know when and how much you would owe with your deductibles (they are separate for comp and coll), and learn how to read your Declarations Page. Also, I'd like you to be familiar with what the minimum limits for your specific state.

Insurance literacy is connected to financial literacy and planning. Also, insurance literacy is something we should be passing down to our kids. While it is comforting to know that most of us will never need to use our auto insurance policy, we all should be prepared.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Maintain your vehicle - service brakes, replace tires and get fluids checked regularly. Also, don't forget to routinely inspect your spare and have a good pair of jumper cables or a Jump Box.

2. Buy and install a dashcam - they have become really affordable and will assist with any word v. word situation. (I just had to mine for a claim)

3. Put your phone on "driving mode" when you begin your journey. In 2020, there were more than 38,000 fatalities due to distracted drivers.

4. If you have poor eyesight, WEAR YOUR GLASSES. In a study conducted in 2016, people who wore glasses regularly but not during driving were four (4) times more likely to have an accident.

5. Lastly, it is always a good idea to travel prepared. Your car should have a first aid kit, an extra phone charger, a blanket, and a spare set of clothes. No one has ever been harmed by being over-prepared (if there is even such a thing).

I hope this helps and I hope more people become "Insurance Literate." I constantly preach that the main job of a claims professional is to educate but, as consumers, we can take on some of that burden.

I hope you never are forced to use your insurance due to an accident. But, if you do find yourself in a situation with Bambi, you can contact me with any questions.