A growing residential population in formerly rural areas of the Garden State mean that there are more frequent collisions with used cars in New Jersey and wildlife that can’t read road signs.

Chief among the states experiencing an increase in the number of deer-vehicle collisions is New Jersey, where incidents have increased by more than 50 percent when comparing estimates of claims made by State Farm customers between 2007 and 2009 to those five years earlier. That is the greatest percentage change in any state outside of Nebraska.

“We want to call attention to potential hazards like this one,” said Laurette Stiles, State Farm vice president of strategic resources. “We hope our updated information will inspire motorists to make safe decisions.”

The twilight and early evening period are when deer are most active, and drivers may want to use high beams as much as possible to improve visibility on rural roads or those with low visibility while driving used cars in New Jersey. If preventive measures don’t seem to work, use the brakes rather than swerving to avoid hitting a stationary object or oncoming vehicle which could result in increased injuries or property damage.