News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 1999

DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS UP THREE PERCENT IN OHIO LAST YEAR

COLUMBUS, OH -- The number of reported deer-vehicle collisions in Ohio last year increased three percent, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Department of Public Safety. But state officials say that much of that increase may be the result of more cars on the road, rather than a growing deer population.

There were 24,868 collisions with deer reported in 1998, an increase from the 24,151 collisions tallied in 1997. However, state officials said the number of deer-vehicle accidents per 1,000 registered vehicles in Ohio increased only slightly from 2.16 in 1997 to 2.18 in 1998.

There were 11.4 million registered vehicles in Ohio last year.

"The number of deer-vehicle accidents last year was nearly identical to those reported in 1997, taking into account the traffic volume," said Mike Tonkovich, deer management biologist with the ODNR Ohio Division of Wildlife. "We saw deer-vehicle collisions actually drop last year in 29 counties, while increasing in 59 counties. Most of these changes were slight."

In Ohio, the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions in 1998 occurred in Hamilton County, followed by Summit, Muskingum, Fairfield, Cuyahoga, Knox, Ross, Delaware, Clermont, Athens and Richland counties.

Monroe County in southeast Ohio reported the fewest deer-vehicle collisions in 1998, followed by Van Wert, Putnam, Paulding, Henry, Mercer, Madison, Fayette, Wyandot and Ottawa counties.

Ohio's six largest metropolitan counties (Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Montgomery and Summit) saw a combined decrease of three percent in the number of deer-vehicle collisions reported last year, compared to 1997. Summit County (down 14 percent), Franklin County (down 9 percent) and Cuyahoga County (down 1 percent) had fewer reported collisions with deer, while Hamilton County (up 4 percent), Lucas County (up 5 percent) and Montgomery County (up 8 percent) had more.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife said Ohio's deer population has declined from an estimated 550,000 animals in 1994 to its present size of approximately 420,000. Much of the state's deer herd is found in southeast and east-central counties.

Statewide deer-vehicle collision totals for the decade include: 1990--19,972; 1991--20,776; 1992--22,758; 1993--24,813; 1994--25,636; 1995--24,811; 1996--25,432; 1997--24,151; and 1998--24,868. The increase has been 25 percent from 1990 through 1998.

Tonkovich explained that changes in the deer population and the number of registered vehicles in the state influence the number of deer-vehicle collisions that occur each year on Ohio's roadways.

"The number of reported deer-vehicle accidents did in fact increase three percent last year, however this accident total suggests that the size of Ohio's deer herd remained nearly unchanged from 1997 to 1998 when accounting for increases in traffic volume during the same period," he said.

EDITORS NOTE: A list of deer-vehicle collisions by county

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For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6539
-or-
ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882