Will the state of Georgia pay for repairs to my car if I hit a deer? I don't have comprehensive insurance.

No, we know of no laws that would require any state or local government to pay for car repairs after a collision with a deer. Comprehensive insurance would pay the costs, minus the policy's deductible, for repairing damage to a vehicle caused by a collision with an animal or natural disaster, such as fire, flood, or hail. Comprehensive also covers losses from theft.

All states except New Hampshire require drivers to carry liability auto insurance, which pays expenses for damage and injuries you cause others when you're legally at-fault for an accident. Comprehensive coverage is optional, as is collision coverage, which pays for repairs to your vehicle when you're involved in a traffic accident.

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You can save on car insurance rates by not buying comprehensive and collision insurance. But make sure you have the resources to repair or replace the car in case of a traffic accident or other mishap.

Collisions with animals are more frequent than many drivers realize, and the accidents can be deadly and expensive. Using its auto insurance claims data, State Farm estimated 2.3 million deer-vehicle collisions occurred in the United States during the two-year period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says such incidents kill about 200 drivers and passengers nationwide every year.

The average cost of property damage from deer-vehicle collisions was $3,103 last year, up 1.7 percent over the previous year, according to State Farm.

The insurance company pegged West Virginia as the No. 1 riskiest state for deer-vehicle collisions. The other states in the top 10 are Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota, Montana, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Minnesota.

For more, see car insurance basics.