Deer Collision Season in Utah
1 in 251 odds of an animal collision claim, 40th of 51 in State Farm’s 2025-2026 ranking. Mule deer migrate through Utah’s canyons, and the Interstate 80 overpass at Parleys Summit was built to carry deer, elk and moose over the traffic.
Odds of hitting a deer in Utah
1 in 251, from State Farm’s analysis of industry animal collision claims between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. That ranks Utah 40th of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia), in the low likelihood category, against a national figure of 1 in 145. The odds were the same, 1 in 251, 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 Utah by month
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 16 fatal animal crashes in Utah from 2015 to 2024, about 1.6 a year, with 19 deaths. That is 0.6 percent of all fatal crashes in the state and 34th among the states by count. May is the month with the most fatal animal crashes in Utah, 4 of 16 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.
When the deer rut runs in Utah
The deer rut in Utah peaks mid November.
Source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan.
Sunset in Salt Lake City when the clocks fall back
On November 7, 2027, clocks fall back an hour and sunset in Salt Lake City moves from 6:18 PM to 5:17 PM, putting the evening drive home in dusk and darkness.
Salt Lake City, 61 minutes earlier by the clock.
Clock change: Uniform Time Act, 15 U.S.C. 260a, and 49 CFR part 71. Sunset calculated for Salt Lake City 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 Utah
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.