Wildlife Collisions Surge After Daylight Saving Time Ends

At Montana Registration Services, we want to keep business drivers and fleet operators aware of the real-world factors that affect safety and operations — especially during seasonal changes. As daylight saving time ends, wildlife-vehicle collisions increase sharply across the country. Here’s what recent data reveals about this growing risk and how it impacts fleets across the Great Lakes region.

Drivers across the Great Lakes region face a sharp 16% rise in wildlife-vehicle collisions in the weeks following the end of daylight saving time, according to State Farm data. The months of October, November, and December account for 41% of all animal-related crashes, with Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania among the highest-risk states.

From July 2024 to June 2025, State Farm recorded 1.7 million insurance claims from animal collisions — slightly fewer than the previous year, but still representing a national average risk of 1 in 139.

Experts attribute the increase to several factors: reduced daylight, the deer mating season (rut), and peak activity for crepuscular animals around dusk. Research published in Current Biology (2022) found that deer-vehicle collisions are 14 times more likely after dark, suggesting that maintaining daylight saving time year-round could prevent accidents and save $1.2 billion annually.

Wildlife advocates, including Environment Michigan’s Calvin Floyd, stress the need for investments in wildlife crossings and fencing, which have proven to reduce collisions by up to 97%. In December 2024, the Michigan Department of Transportation received a federal grant through the FHWA’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to identify and mitigate high-risk roadways in partnership with the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

Smaller species are also affected — from turtles and snakes to pollinators. For example, the U.S. Forest Service closes Illinois’ “Snake Road” each spring and fall to allow safe reptile migration through the Shawnee National Forest, home to 66% of the state’s amphibians and over 90% of its mammals.

Experts urge drivers to stay alert around dawn and dusk, watch for eye shine from animals near road edges, and remain aware that wildlife movement peaks during seasonal transitions.

Source: Great Lakes Now – “Roads in the Great Lakes Region Get Riskier After Daylight Saving Ends” (Nov. 2025)