OT Deer collision avoidance

FredC · Jul 30, 2020

It seems a lot of PM members live in the country. Avoiding collision with deer is something that really affects how I drive at night. Straddling the center stripe and driving 45 to 55 have long been some of my tricks on these Farm to Market roads at night.

Here is a new trick developed by the USDA:
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers | New lighting system helps deer avoid vehicles at night

If this is too far off topic no hard feelings if it is deleted or locked.

DDoug · Jul 30, 2020

I think it's a good topic, we've discussed before.

I've hit 3-5 over the years, and avoided countless others.

"Freezing in the headlights" has never been a problem.

Running from a predator, out into traffic is a major problem, they never look at the vehicle.

Chasing some tail during the rut is the worst kind, they are slower moving, but even the horn
don't want to snap them to attention.

I find the horn, used to herd them, works best, even with the fall rut problem.

But I've had (2) just run into the side of my truck...... :nutter:

lucky7 · Jul 30, 2020

Interesting idea, and thanks for posting. Deer are a pain, but what I’d really like to see this system work on is moose.

L7

FredC · Jul 30, 2020

Yeah, on the 2 I have hit they were unavoidable. One came running off a dirt road that Teed into the highway I was one. Thick cover in the field, he was just there. He paid no attention to his stop sign!
The other was on the right with a fairly large bunch of deer. I saw them and crossed to the right side to give them as much room as possible and slowed to 30MPH. One doe left the bunch and tried to cross in front of me. She flew about 30 feet after I hit her. Saw the dust come up from her impact, she bounced another 10 feet or so and landed on her hooves not feet. Took off running in one motion.
I turned around to see why the deer did not hop the fence on the right, there was a herd of cows up tight against the fence. If she had hopped the fence she would have landed on a cow!

Tyrone Shoelaces · Jul 30, 2020

Move to England, you won't have to worry about that again.

Having said that I bloke I knew was a Sub Post Master in a rural area. He'd left his back door open and a sheep got into his kitchen. As he was trying to round up the sheep it charged into him and broke his leg ! It made headline news in our local paper. We never let him forget it either.

Regards Tyrone.

FredC · Jul 30, 2020

lucky7 said:
Interesting idea, and thanks for posting. Deer are a pain, but what I’d really like to see this system work on is moose.

L7

If it works on moose it could be a life saver. Not too expensive to try it out.

gbent · Jul 30, 2020

Anything that works would be helpful. The state of Kansas manages their deer herd to maximize car-deer collisions. Lots more sales tax revenue that way. The majority of all accidents in my area are car-deer accidents.

DDoug · Jul 30, 2020

Why don't we hear from "El Gordo" or "El Gordo Jr." on this subject ?????

They seem to know all there is to know about the US of A..... :toetap:

carlherrnstein · Jul 30, 2020

I wonder if that system is or could be DOT approved. DOT can be picky about what is allowed as can the state police/troopers.

Scottl · Jul 30, 2020

So maybe all those customizers with the neon "halo" lights and other flashy "street cruiser" stuff may actually be onto something?

Of course the street cruiser types tend to drive only in the city so maybe it's helping avoid pedestrian collisions.

DDoug · Jul 30, 2020

carlherrnstein said:
I wonder if that system is or could be DOT approved. DOT can be picky about what is allowed as can the state police/troopers.

Yup, 50 strobe lights all around the car pointing outwards with a disco ball up top,
along with a screaming 150 decibel siren probably isn't gonna get approved.

thermite · Jul 30, 2020

digger doug said:
Why don't we hear from "El Gordo" or "El Gordo Jr." on this subject ?????

They seem to know all there is to know about the US of A.....

Not really.

It only LOOKS that way ....because half of America is "meating" them on their own familiar turf.

Ever we get more 'Muricans to get they heads outta their own arses, those two weirdness-trolls would be obvious-strange as alien parasites from "inner space".

hobbyman · Jul 30, 2020

Years ago I was entertained by many deer collecting by the road attracted by the salt and green shoots. This was about 2:00 am. I counted 65 plus in my headlights over a two hour period. I experimented with my horn and found that if I gave short beeps like a barking dog they would startle and go into the bush. Holding on the horn had little effect. Fortunately there were no close calls.

Conrad Hoffman · Jul 30, 2020

I drive through an area I think is the deer capitol of the northeast every day. Only hit one over the last 30 years. I used to autocross and at a sane speed I can avoid most anything... assuming nobody is on my bumper. Nothing pisses me off more than tailgaters when going through high deer areas. I have to slow down when they hug the bumper, which only pisses them off more and causes them to follow closer. It's the only time I get serious road rage. My wife likes noisy cars and thinks she has less trouble with deer because of it. Maybe we need those muffler bypass valves like they could put on cars in the '50s! Ha, just looked- you can still buy 'em.

motion guru · Jul 30, 2020

I and my kids have combined hit 6 deer in the last decade within a 10 mile radius of our home. I had 5 kids and when they started driving - I knew they were going to likely wreck their first car . . . so we settled on 1988..92 Toyota Corollas. Cheap, easy to work on, and relatively slow / stable / safe. At one point, I had 4 totaled Corollas up behind the shop. Each kid would buy another one and then they started swapping parts / engines / tires / etc. We had a good 10 year run before donating the left overs to the local fire dept to cut up for practice.

Roadkill were at times hauled home and set in the woods in front of a game camera and we would watch the coyotes clean things up.

Lots of good life lessons with deer jumping in front of cars.

akajun · Jul 30, 2020

I could easily install that on my bumper now, but what about the light pollution of it reflecting back in your vision?
FYI last year I hit a small doe going about 70 mph in my 2018 f150 at night. Surprisingly the vehicle was still drivable but did knock out the AC ( we still need them in south LA in Nov sometimes) and cause 12k in damage. Like stated above, deer was running full speed across the highway and was unavoidable.
I went back with a Steelbuilt brand bumper and mounted a warn winch in it instead of going factory as I wanted additional protection and I was able to save my deductible and pocket a few hundred bucks even after buying the winch.
I didn't have it 24 hrs and was with my kids and hit a big old doe going about 55 but I jammed on the brakes and probably contacted about 45-50. Again deer crossing the highway at full speed unavoidable and in broad daylight New bumper worked perfect and glanced the deer of the roadway. All it did was it sheared a few of the mounting bolts and angled it down, I was able to fix it in an hour.
Moral of the story, upgrade your bumper

Guest · Jul 30, 2020

So far my quick reflexes and heightened observance has kept me from hitting them, but I have had numerous close calls. It 10 years living in the woods here the only animal I hit was a box turtle. He was crossing in the shadows in a tight road lined with trees, one lane each direction, with oncoming traffic, it was him or me. I even manage to dodge the squirrels around here and they almost seem to try to get hit.

AJ H · Jul 30, 2020

Never given it much concern, but I've also always driven one ton diesels. The worst thing you can do is swerve. I've always just squared up on them and plowed through, pull over to make sure license plate it still intact, pitch the busch latte can out of the cup holder and carry on.

Bigbore050 · Jul 30, 2020

The dumb deer around here won't fall for that. Seems like people hit them almost as much in the morning daylight hours as they do at night.

Id rather see the deer myself and respond accordingly instead of trusting the deer to do the right thing.

Give me some forward and side facing thermal radar. If it detects a blip in the front or sides have it throw a warning up on the dash. Could help with all the heroin addicts waking the county highways at night too. Probably will be a option before to long anyways. Hell cars already have radar and we have had rain sensing wipers for how long now?

AJ H said:
Never given it much concern, but I've also always driven one ton diesels. The worst thing you can do is swerve. I've always just squared up on them and plowed through, pull over to make sure license plate it still intact, pitch the busch latte can out of the cup holder and carry on.

This is my approach but if your in a car with a low front end speed up. I scored 4 of them one morning(at dawn no headlights) running late to work. Was doing about 70 in a mustang when they walked out in front of me, bumper picked them right up and over the car. Minimal damage to the car and all 4 deer either got up and ran off or all landed in the ditch somehow.

thermite · Jul 30, 2020

Conrad Hoffman said:
I drive through an area I think is the deer capitol of the northeast every day. Only hit one over the last 30 years. I used to autocross and at a sane speed I can avoid most anything... assuming nobody is on my bumper. Nothing pisses me off more than tailgaters when going through high deer areas. I have to slow down when they hug the bumper, which only pisses them off more and causes them to follow closer. It's the only time I get serious road rage. My wife likes noisy cars and thinks she has less trouble with deer because of it. Maybe we need those muffler bypass valves like they could put on cars in the '50s! Ha, just looked- you can still buy 'em.

LOL! In my youth.. many of us had those.. but ..I was privileged to know this REALLY, REALLY OLD guy.. who shared one of his fondest youthful memories.

Seems as a teenager, sometime around World War One, he was the US Post Office contract designated driver.. of a chain-drive, solid rubber tire "Reo" mail truck.

His most beloved job was to make the "high priority" run from Post Office to the rail station, carrying the most critical of mail to insure it got aboard a premium passenger service, no-prisoners-taken, tall-drivers, and Devil himself stoking coal, FAST steam rail. "Airmail" still in the future. And not even as fast, just yet, let alone as reliable!

And FEDERAL SOP - local cops basically "mess ye NOT with the FEDS!" handcuffed - mandated he clear his highest-priority way through horse and early motorcar traffic .. with the aid of a monster brass "exhaust whistle" chained wide-open to the beat of his thumping Reo's slow-turning engine!

Said he felt like some sort of a GOD - as if running a steam locomotive right down the centerline of Pittsburgh's high street Belgian-block cobbles, the way the horses and motorcars alike scrambled to make-way for his ponderous, heavy machine-gun cycling-rate hooting, progress ... at about the speed of a fast man, walking!

Some experiences are so rewarding they are best enjoyed if made to LAST a spell. Wimmin' involved or not? I mean.. priority or never, have to drive carefully. Can't risk skidding on horse turd and piss, missing the train, can one?

You'd have to know solid-rubber tires ... old Pittsburgh's cobblestones. Horse-turd optional?

OT Deer collision avoidance

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