Hit a deer in NJ? What to do, when to report it, who pays

What month has the most deer accidents?

November. New Jersey police logged 2,108 animal crashes in November 2023 and 2,222 in November 2024, about 72 a day across the two Novembers and five times the July level.

October is close behind, and December stays above every month from January to September. Yearly totals rose from 9,598 in 2023 to 10,484 in 2024 and 10,774 in preliminary 2025, with the same November peak.

What time of day do deer crashes happen?

Mostly after dark: 59 percent of animal crashes in 2023 and 2024 happened in darkness, and the 5 pm to 9 pm stretch alone held 32 percent.

• 6 pm to 7 pm was the worst single hour, with 1,773 animal crashes in two years.
• A smaller morning peak runs from 5 am to 8 am, with 3,466 crashes.
• Midday is quiet: each hour from 9 am to 3 pm saw about 300 to 450.

In October to December, 6 pm to 7 pm alone took 10 percent of the season's animal crashes. For all crash types by hour, see when most car accidents happen in New Jersey.

Why do deer crashes jump after the clocks change?

The jump comes at dusk: the Monday after the clocks fell back was New Jersey's worst day for animal crashes in both 2023 and 2024.

• Monday 6 November 2023, the day after the change: 120 animal crashes, the most of any day that year.
• Monday 4 November 2024, also the day after: 127, the most of any day that year.
• In the two weeks after each change, animal crashes from 5 pm to 8 pm rose 55 percent on the two weeks before, from 582 to 900. At all hours they rose 5 percent.

The clock change falls inside the deer rut peak, so this shows when crashes cluster, not that the time change causes them. In October and November, 66 percent of animal crashes happened in the dark.¹

By town, Bridgewater Township in Somerset logged the most October and November animal crashes, 117 in two years. Of the 25 busiest towns, Readington Township in Hunterdon has the highest animal share: 275 of its 910 crashes, 30 percent.

Preliminary counts show no easing: 4,251 animal crashes in October and November 2025, against 4,346 in 2024.

Download the data: animal crashes by county (CSV) and top 25 towns in October and November (CSV). Free to reuse with a link to this page.

How often is someone hurt when they hit a deer?

Rarely, compared with other crashes: 914 of the 20,082 animal crashes in 2023 and 2024 hurt or killed someone, 4.6 percent, against 22 percent of all New Jersey crashes.

Those 914 crashes injured 1,012 people. Three animal crashes were fatal, all in 2024, killing three people. October and November held 399 of the 914.

Which NJ counties and roads have the most deer crashes?

Monmouth has the most animal crashes, 2,374 in two years, but in Hunterdon and Sussex about 1 in 5 of all crashes involves an animal. Hudson had only 74. In Monmouth's Freehold Township it is about 1 crash in 10, as our Freehold Township crash data shows.

In Ocean County's Jackson Township, 9.5 percent of all crashes involved an animal; see deer and animal crashes in Jackson.

Each county's top towns, top road and worst hour are on NJ deer crashes by county.

County roads carried 42 percent of animal crashes, NJDOT state highways 28 percent, toll-road authorities 8 percent and interstates 6 percent. The top five routes:

• Garden State Parkway: 1,025 animal crashes
• US 206: 504
• US 202: 435
• I-80: 316
• US 22: 308

More local data: county pages for Morris County, Middlesex County and Bergen County. Deer sections on Route 206, Route 202, Route 31, Route 23, Route 55 and the Garden State Parkway.

Do you have to report hitting a deer in NJ?

Yes, if anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage to any one person tops $500. Tell the local, county or State Police by the quickest means available.

Not knowing how bad the damage was is no defense if you knew you crashed. Knowingly failing to report can bring a $30 to $100 fine and a possible license or registration suspension. The 10-day written report and how to get a copy are on how to get your NJ accident report.²

How do you report hitting a deer without a police report?

Use NJDOT's SR-1 self-reporting form. It is the only form for a crash police did not investigate, and it can be filed online.

NJDOT says the instant acknowledgment can be submitted to an insurance company, so keep it with your claim papers. Only police complete the NJTR-1 crash report.³

Who pays after you hit a deer in NJ?

For injuries, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays your medical expenses no matter who caused the crash. A deer leaves no other driver to claim against.

That is common in New Jersey: besides animal crashes, 13,151 crashes into a fixed object such as a pole or tree hurt or killed someone in 2023 and 2024.¹

PIP covers medical expenses and benefits such as income continuation. Repairs depend on your physical damage coverage. The Basic Policy offers collision and comprehensive only as options from some insurers, and the SAIP "dollar-a-day" policy has neither.⁴

How a claim for the car works is on our New Jersey property damage claim steps. Why PIP pays first is on is NJ a no-fault state.

Who is at fault if you swerve to miss a deer and hit another car?

Fault is split by comparative negligence: you recover from the other driver only if your share is not greater than theirs.

Your damages are then cut by your share. DOBI's examples: 10 percent at fault with $1,000 of damage, you get $900; 50 percent, $500; 80 percent, nothing from the other driver.

Insurers set the split from all the facts, not the police report alone, and must offer an internal appeal of a fault percentage. If you hit a pole or tree instead, there is no other driver, so PIP and your own physical damage coverage are the routes.⁵

Real fault splits are on partly at fault in a NJ car accident.

What should you do if you hit a deer in NJ?

Call the police when the law requires it, then make sure a record of the crash exists, because your insurance company will work from it.

1. Call the police if anyone is hurt or the damage is over $500.
2. Note which agency responded. State Police reports cover the Parkway, the Turnpike and the non-toll roads State Police patrol.
3. If no officer came, file the SR-1 form and keep the acknowledgment.
4. Get the police report and check it. DOBI says to tell your insurer and the police department about any mistakes.⁶