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Fairfax County staff: deer‑vehicle collisions peak in fall and are undercounted in police reports
Summary
County staff said an average of 101 reportable deer‑vehicle collisions have occurred annually since 2010, earlier research suggests actual collisions may be much higher than police records, and county analyses show peaks in October–December and at dusk–dawn rather than on hunting days.
Catherine Edwards said staff are analyzing multiple data sources to better understand deer‑vehicle collisions (DVCs) but cautioned that police reports undercount minor collisions. She cited a Virginia Transportation Research Council study that found reportable DVCs may be 8.5 times higher than police records and said insurance company records would be useful but are not accessible to county staff.
Edwards reported that in Fairfax County an average of 101 reportable DVCs occurred annually since 2010 (ranging from about 75 to 120 per year) and that monthly and time‑of‑day patterns align with statewide trends: October through December show the highest collision counts and the majority occur from dusk to dawn. She said those spikes align with deer movement during the breeding season and seasonal forage changes and that available evidence does not show a correlation between legal hunting hours or weekends and the observed DVC spikes.
