My accident wasn't fatal to anyone, even the deer. But holy crap it did a number on my car. I was driving a Ford Focus at the time and was driving from my college in Iowa back home to Sacramento. I actually wasn't driving at the time of the collision; my mom was behind the wheel when it occurred, I was peacefully sleeping in the passenger seat when the accident happened.

I think it was the loud thud that woke me up, but it was around 10pm just outside of Council Bluffs, Iowa. While I would associate Midwestern states as having the highest concentration of fatal accidents involving animals, Texas is actually the worst state for such accidents; (IIHS) Iowa is tied for 3rd.

Luckily, we were close to a rest area because not only was it late at night, it was also raining. Once we got the car safely off the road and into the rest area, I got to inspect the damage. The damage to my car looked more like we got into an accident with another vehicle than with a deer. The front grill was broken, the bumper was cracked and the hood was dented. That was only the cosmetic damage. I also had a broken radiator, broken water pump, my antifreeze reservoir was cracked, and a few other things were out of whack. Overall, my car was a mess.

It is a good thing for my mom and I that the accident wasn't more severe. Deer have a tendency to jump into the road from out of nowhere, so here are a few tips from the Insurance Information Institute to hopefully avoid such accidents:

• Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.

• Drive with caution when moving through deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. Deer seldom run alone. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.

• When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.

• Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.

• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.

• Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing their seat belt.

• Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.

The good thing is we got my car fixed, primarily with duct tape, and were able to make it home in a couple days. Then I got to file a car insurance claim. It is important to check with your car insurance provider to make sure they cover accidents involving deer.