The study that ranks West Virginia first was just released by State Farm Insurance. The chances of a West Virginia driver hitting a deer in the next 12 months is 1 in 42.
Drivers in Ohio are also at high risk, ranking 11th in the nation with a 1 in 121 chance of colliding with a deer.
Kentucky is closer to the middle of the pack, but drivers there still face a 1 in 161 chance of hitting a deer.
West Virginia State Police troopers say it's an all-too-common occurrence in the state -- with sometimes deadly consequences. According to the latest numbers, 150 people are killed each year in car crashes involving deer.
Police say it's all about slowing down and being prepared.
"In my opinion, It's better to keep your vehicle on a straight path," West Virginia State Police Sgt. Rob Perry says. "If you try to swerve or avoid the deer, you might lose control of your vehicle, go into an oncoming lane of traffic -- you might have a head-on collision."
State Farm estimates the average property damage cost in these types of crashes is a little more than $3,100.
Nearly 2.3 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. in just the two-year period between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010.
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