October is here, and that means it’s time for drivers to be alert.

This month, along with November and December, are the peak months for motorists to collide with animals, particularly deer.

And of all 50 states, Pennsylvania has the highest number of claims filed annually for animal collisions, according to a just-released report from State Farm Insurance.

All in all, you have 1-in-61 odds of hitting an animal when you are traveling on the roads of Pennsylvania, according to the report. It’s better than the 1-in-40 odds you have in West Virginia, but a far cry from the 1-in-11 million odds you have of dying in a plane crash.

The best advice at this time of year is be on the lookout when driving, especially in rural areas and between dusk and dawn, don’t speed, don’t be distracted by your phone, be alert for herds of deer and don’t swerve if you can’t avoid striking a deer or some other animal.

Being watchful and taking it easy on the gas pedal might make all the difference between getting somewhere uneventfully and having to call your insurance agent.

October also brings National Bullying Awareness Month. Bullying has been around since … well, probably as long as humans have walked the Earth, but there is thankfully a much greater understanding of the harmful effects it can have.

Long dismissed as a rite of passage that some young people just had to endure, bullying has been shown to cause tangible damage to the self-esteem of children – and, yes, adults – who are on the receiving end of it.

It can lead to anxiety and depression, avoidance of school and, in the worst cases, physical harm.

National Bullying Awareness Month is designed to remind teachers, school administrators and leaders of other types of organizations to be on the lookout for bullying and create environments where people feel supported.

We may never be fully rid of bullying, but we can take some solace that it is not shrugged off in the way it once was.