One in every 137 Virginia motorists is likely to strike a deer in the next year, placing it in the top 10 of all states, according to new data by State Farm.

Using its claims data, State Farm estimates that 2.4 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2009. The insurer said its estimate of 100,000 collisions per month is 18.3% more than five years earlier.

For the third year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a collision is most likely to occur in the next 12 months at 1 in 39. Michigan (1 in 78) is second, Pennsylvania (1 in 94) third, Iowa (1 in 104) fourth and Montana (1 in 104) rounds out the top five.

Arkansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Virginia round out the top 10 states.

When comparing July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2004, to July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2009, Virginia has seen a 28% increase in deer- vehicle collisions, State Farm said.

This story originally appeared in the November 2009 print edition of Insurance & Financial Advisor.