Deer Collision Season in Arizona
1 in 682 odds of an animal collision claim, 49th of 51 in State Farm’s 2025-2026 ranking. Arizona has mule deer, the small Coues white-tailed deer of the southern mountains, and elk along the high country highways of the Mogollon Rim.
Odds of hitting a deer in Arizona
1 in 682, from State Farm’s analysis of industry animal collision claims between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. That ranks Arizona 49th of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia), in the low likelihood category, against a national figure of 1 in 145. That is a lower likelihood than 1 in 577 in the 2024-2025 edition.
Source: State Farm, How likely are you to have an animal collision? (2025-2026). Compiled 2026-09-21.
Fatal animal crashes in Arizona by month
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 32 fatal animal crashes in Arizona from 2015 to 2024, about 3.2 a year, with 34 deaths. That is 0.3 percent of all fatal crashes in the state and 24th among the states by count. April is the month with the most fatal animal crashes in Arizona, 6 of 32 across the ten years. FARS counts crashes with any animal; the insurance claim season, October to December, is shaded.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), first harmful event Live Animal, 2015 to 2024. Compiled 2026-09-21.
Sunset in Phoenix when the clocks fall back
Arizona stays on standard time all year, so sunset in Phoenix slides earlier through the autumn a minute or two at a time, with no one day jump.
Clock change: Uniform Time Act, 15 U.S.C. 260a, and 49 CFR part 71. Sunset calculated for Phoenix and checked against the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department.
What state agencies tell drivers
“If you cannot avoid hitting a deer with your vehicle, brake firmly and stay in your lane. Avoid sudden swerving, which can result in a loss of control and a more serious crash.”Wisconsin Department of Transportation, quoted exactly.
“If a deer runs in front of you, do not swerve. Brake firmly and stay in your lane.”Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security / Tennessee Highway Patrol, quoted exactly.
“Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Swerving can cause motorists to lose control and travel off the road or into oncoming traffic.”Missouri Department of Transportation, quoted exactly.
Questions people ask about deer collisions in Arizona
Fatal animal crash counts compiled 2026-09-21 from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). State Farm odds, agency counts and quotes compiled 2026-09-21 from the pages linked above, quoted exactly.