Deer vs. car crashes on the rise as wildlife hits the road

If you've ever lived in the eastern or central United States, chances are you've seen a deer test fate by dashing across a busy road -- or worse, test your fate as well by triggering a car crash. A new study finds that car-deer crashes are rising sharply after a few years of decline, just in time for the peak season when Bambi's most likely to hit the interstate. The reason? More cars on the road -- and more deer than ever.

Research has found that about 200 people a year in the United States die in crashes caused by darting deer. State Farm Insurance used its claims data to research the problem and estimated that deer hit 1.23 million vehicles between July 2011 and June 2012. Over the past four years, State Farm says, claims from deer hits rose nearly 8 percent, while claims from all other types of collisions fell 8.5 percent.