Posted on 03/11/2022 8:55:43 AM PST by SJackson
Edited on 03/11/2022 8:26:35 PM PST by Jim Robinson. [history]
There are a lot of bad decisions you might make if a deer appears in front of you in the road while you’re driving. You’ll be startled, it will freeze, and your brain will sound the alarm that you should do something now—but please, avoid the urge to swerve around it.
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Faced with a deer in my lane on an on-ramp: I swerved and ran into a ditch - Insurance company said I was at fault and next time, just stay in your lane and hit the deer. Now I know....
Interesting. I wouldn't count on a deer, particularly at night, jumping out of the way at the last minute. Personally I think the most important thing is to watch you speed, sorry for those who don't like the 55 limits on rural roads. And to watch the edges, ditch, trees, whatever, for deer and slow if you see one. Sometimes they will cross in front of you, sometimes not. They have their own minds.
Yes, though at speed they can be thrown on the hood and through the window.
What do you do about the ones that run headlong into the side of your vehicle?
I’ve driven in deer country for decades. Drive much slower at dusk, and slower than usual at night in general and watch for the deer crossing signs at all times and slow down in those areas..
And Elk tend to just stand in road and you have to miss them. Moose are less likely to hang on roads but they are the worst to hit. They can take the roof right off a vehicle, posts and all.
Most drivers in Colorado are insane and don’t heed practical advice. The ones who are sane know to drive at the speed limit and to cut their speed if visibility is poor. Duh. Also sane drivers know not to swerve suddenly out of their lane unless visibility is acceptable. It may not be something that can move, after all. It might be a piece of machinery that fell off a truck, a piece of a tire - you know, something that won’t disintegrate when you hit it and can disable your vehicle much more seriously than hitting even a big animal like an elk.
This is great advice, but idiot drivers won’t read it and good drivers don’t need it.
Driving slower is the best move—since I am retired there is no rush to get anywhere so it is doable.
It has kept me from hitting several deer over the years—I had enough time to stop the car before hitting them.
I once saw two elk carcasses in the pile of snow off the side of I-17 in AZ south of Flagstaff.
A friend of mine who was a County Deputy Sheriff lost his life because he was responding to a call at 3 AM, swerved to miss a deer in the road, lost control of his vehicle, and broadsided a tree.
He would be alive today if he had just hit the deer square on.
You aim to take out the first and the last in the line. This will paralyze the others and you can get them at your leisure. Oh, you said "deer". I thought you were talking about Russian tanks on the road.
Ive seen that happen a few times..and 1 of them made it to the backseat!
The key is that you have to be aware of your surroundings and the cars around you before you see the deer, because by the time you see the deer, it is probably too late to check. If you're not routinely checking your rear view and side view mirrors while driving to know what is around you at all times, that's on you.
Rats with hooves.
I’ve hit (or been hit) by 3 deer and been missed by many more. This advice is spot on for any animal. Swerving is a great way to cause a terrible head-on collision or a roll over in the ditch.
My only other advice is in the face of immanent collision is to shut your mouth. That way you won’t get a mouthful of fur and glass.
Here in S.E. Michigan the number of deer is incredible. A couple weeks ago I drove north to spend the day with a buddy who lives about 55 miles away. On the way home I counted 8 dead dear along the freeway that had been nailed by vehicles.
Six months ago a deer teleported in front of my car. There was no time to swerve or brake. There was minor damage to my vehicle. The deer was killed instantly.
My uncle had a deer jump into the back of his pickup. The deer was dead, so he drove to the local meat packing company.
If it is smaller than a hog, hit it.
Words from an old country woman I used to know. A hog is usually 350 lbs and up. If you hit one, you would have thought it was made of concrete.
A deer is absolutely “hittable” (hat tip to Laz).
But a cow or horse is something else. That is where not out driving your headlights pays off.
Judging from number dead deer I see this guy is assigning way too much common sense to them.
Moose. Like hitting a brick wall on stilts...
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