Plow down Bambi

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Lillith

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I wanted to make sure that everyone have this conversation with their children as they are getting drivers licenses!

Last night a teenage boy came through the E.R. at the hospital I work very seriously injured because he had dodged a deer that jumped out in front of his car…he swerved off the road, went into a ditch, and fractured his leg in a very bad way. His shatterd his leg will need surgery to fix it, and he will most likely always have pain.

This is a little too common, and I don’t know if driver’s ed. addresses the problem, but it won’t hurt to have the conversation more than once with your children. If an animal jumps in front of your car do not flinch…do not swerve…hit the poor thing.

I love animals…but gosh!!!
Teresa
 
I bet it happened right at dusk. That is the time when most accidents with deers happen.

I have only had one runin with a deer. fortunately, I say them crossing and was only going five miles per hour. The doe glaced off the front of my car and ran off. I only have a slight dent in the hood.

PF
 
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WanderAimlessly:
I bet it happened right at dusk. That is the time when most accidents with deers happen.

I have only had one runin with a deer. fortunately, I say them crossing and was only going five miles per hour. The doe glaced off the front of my car and ran off. I only have a slight dent in the hood.

PF
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We hit one at 65 MPH at 2:00 AM on the Pennsylvania Turnpike some years ago. Took out a large buck! Very badly damaged the rental van! But yes, you have to hit it . . . it’s far too dangerous to try to swerve.
 
I agree. However, I think there is a natural instinct to swerve when just about any large object comes in front of you. Especially when one is an inexperienced driver.

Scott
 
David Zampino:
We hit one at 65 MPH at 2:00 AM on the Pennsylvania Turnpike some years ago. Took out a large buck! Very badly damaged the rental van! But yes, you have to hit it . . . it’s far too dangerous to try to swerve.
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Unfortunately I think the impulse for young drivers (and some very kind hearted women) is to swerve…very few men have this difficulty.
 
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Lillith:
Unfortunately I think the impulse for young drivers (and some very kind hearted women) is to swerve…very few men have this difficulty.
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Heh. I see we had the same thought at the same time. 🙂
 
I agree with Scott.

When I drive at night, I have to make effort to remind myself if an animal jumps out…keep going.

However, my aunt was seriously injured when she did hit the deer!

But yes, we must plow down Bambi if we need to.
 
Untrue…if you are driving a small car and it is a big deer (or elk or moose for us Canadians) sometimes it is imperative that you dodge the animal. Our poor bishop a few years ago hit a moose with his car and it became a convertable (the Bishop almost became a convertable too). The bishop spent a couple weeks in the hospital and much more time in rehabilitation.

I also know a couple of friends who were seriously injured when they hit a deer in a VW golf. Low cars like that take out the legs of an animal and the body (upwards of 800 pounds at times) comes through the windshield.

It depends on any number of factors, including the size (and height) of the car, the size of the animal, the speed which you are traveling and the surrounding road conditions. If swerving means going into a wheat field…great. If it means taking the fast road down the mountain…not so good.

Adam
 
**Same situation years ago. I did not swerve but hit my brakes. Deer injured and care only minor damage.

On the other hand, two years ago I had a doe broadside me. A doe was being chased by a dog and she ran into my passenger wheel well. Long story short the damage was dead doe and $4000 in repair work for my car.

I love animals but my children have been told to hit the animal and not swerve.
**
 
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amarischuk:
Untrue…if you are driving a small car and it is a big deer (or elk or moose for us Canadians) sometimes it is imperative that you dodge the animal. Our poor bishop a few years ago hit a moose with his car and it became a convertable (the Bishop almost became a convertable too). The bishop spent a couple weeks in the hospital and much more time in rehabilitation.

I also know a couple of friends who were seriously injured when they hit a deer in a VW golf. Low cars like that take out the legs of an animal and the body (upwards of 800 pounds at times) comes through the windshield.

It depends on any number of factors, including the size (and height) of the car, the size of the animal, the speed which you are traveling and the surrounding road conditions. If swerving means going into a wheat field…great. If it means taking the fast road down the mountain…not so good.

Adam
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Inexerpienced drivers cannot control the swerve however…they tend to Over correct…
 
I know this what you’re supposed to do but I just don’t think if the moment arose I could do it. I have slammed on the breaks for a squirrel and even a bird, I just can’t see myself being able to plow into a deer.
 
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rayne89:
I know this what you’re supposed to do but I just don’t think if the moment arose I could do it. I have slammed on the breaks for a squirrel and even a bird, I just can’t see myself being able to plow into a deer.
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Bless your sweet heart! I know! I did not think I would be able to either! But, I hit a Bunny last spring. I can still close My eyes and see it happening…It bothered me greatly…I have been known to dodge woolly worms 🙂

That being said…I realized when I started working at the E.R. that dodging can really cause a serious accident…especially young drivers loose control all too often…
 
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amarischuk:
Untrue…if you are driving a small car and it is a big deer (or elk or moose for us Canadians) sometimes it is imperative that you dodge the animal. Our poor bishop a few years ago hit a moose with his car and it became a convertable (the Bishop almost became a convertable too). The bishop spent a couple weeks in the hospital and much more time in rehabilitation.

I also know a couple of friends who were seriously injured when they hit a deer in a VW golf. Low cars like that take out the legs of an animal and the body (upwards of 800 pounds at times) comes through the windshield.

It depends on any number of factors, including the size (and height) of the car, the size of the animal, the speed which you are traveling and the surrounding road conditions. If swerving means going into a wheat field…great. If it means taking the fast road down the mountain…not so good.

Adam
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:amen: Deer, elk, moose, etc., weigh hudreds of pounds to over one thousand. If you wouldn’t advise that your child drive head on into a brick wall EVERY time he encounters one, the same could be said for these large animals on the road.

TABLE 2

Average and range of fall live-weights in pounds for North Dakota big game species (all weights are in pounds).

ELK
Young-of-the-year:
Average weight: 298 pounds
Yearling and adult females:
Average weight: 495
Range: 438 - 556
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 698
Range: 469 - 950

MOOSE
Young-of-the-year:
Average weight: 432 pounds
Range: 310 - 500
Yearling and adult females:
Average weight: 879
Range: 600 - 1,160
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 891
Range: 550 - 1,300

MULE DEER
Young-of-the-year:
Average weight: 79 pounds
Range: 65 - 90
Yearling and adult females:
Average weight:138
Range: 110 - 170
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 163
Range: 125 - 255

BIGHORN SHEEP
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 196 pounds
Range of weights: 123 - 250

WHITE-TAILED DEER
Young-of-the-year:
Average weight: 80 pounds
Range: 55 - 105
Yearling and adult females:
Average weight:131
Range: 90 - 208
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 168
Range: 100 - 242

PRONGHORN
Young-of-the-year:
Average weight: 77 pounds
Range: 70 - 82
Yearling and adult females:
Average weight:108
Range: 91 - 124
Yearling and adult males:
Average weight: 117
Range: 100 - 134

(Pronghorn data from G.J. Mitchell. 1971. Journal of Wildlife Management. 35(1): 76-86)
 
I understand this point…I am mainly speaking of inexperienced drivers…who can not calculate all of this in a split second.

After ten years in the E.R…I can not remember one patient that came in after hitting a deer…but I remember plenty that landed in a ditch avoiding one.

Here in Ky…we don’t have moose…and maybe the deer aren’t as big…and I am not at work 24/7…but I still can’t remember one.
 
It is important to slow down in areas where deer are active – it’s not a good idea to be doing 65 MPH where deer are expected to cross the road (and any driver should find out if his/her normal driving range includes such places).

I have to agree with amarischuk about the large animals. Hitting a moose with your car will kill you or injure you severely. A moose has very long legs – if you hit one, your car will hit the legs, and the body will come crashing through your windshield. Bull moose can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Not good odds for the human.

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CarolAnnSFO:
It is important to slow down in areas where deer are active – it’s not a good idea to be doing 65 MPH where deer are expected to cross the road (and any driver should find out if his/her normal driving range includes such places).

I have to agree with amarischuk about the large animals. Hitting a moose with your car will kill you or injure you severely. A moose has very long legs – if you hit one, your car will hit the legs, and the body will come crashing through your windshield. Bull moose can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Not good odds for the human.

Crazy Internet Junkies Society
Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
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All right…maybe I will amend my advice…There are no Moose in Kentucky…

If you Live in the southern states…and you have no dinosuar type animals that roam the wild… do not swerve to avoid the animal.

If you live in the northwest…and you have mamouth deer, or moose…drive slower in these areas, and swerve if you see them in your path…

I am glad there are no moose to contend with, but I would like to see one someday.
 
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Lillith:
If you Live in the southern states…and you have no dinosuar type animals that roam the wild… do not swerve to avoid the animal.
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:rotfl:
 
In Pennsylvania, there seem to be an overpopulation of deer (especially near Philadelphia). Since moving to Michigan, I have not seen any deer (of course I have not been too far from Southfield, and then, only during the day).

PF
 
I know to hit a doe… but I’m worried about an antler coming through my windshield if it’s a big buck!

There was a news story last year of a mother and daughter who hit a deer. Mom (driver) looked over, and the antler was right through her daughter’s eye. Certainly she lost sight in that eye… I don’t know if she experienced any brain damage as a result.
 
If I do have to hit a deer someday…assumming I’m not seriously hurt (hopefully truck takes the brunt) can I keep it and have it for dinner?
 
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