Car flipped on Plum Point Rd

[JoeRider]

Has anyone done this successfully? Seems to me that most deer are hit because they dart out from trees or brush alongside the road, and most people react by immediately slamming on the brakes. Does anyone really have enough reaction time prior to hitting the deer to think through and use that technique?

Defensive Driving Tips to avoid hitting a deer

* Keep a close watch for deer at dawn and dusk. Deer are most active during these times.
* Be especially alert and drive with caution. Be on the lookout for deer crossing signs and slow down.
* Be aware of your surroundings, just because you don’t see a deer crossing sign posted, it doesn’t mean deer won’t unexpectedly appear.
* Flash your lights or honk your horn to frighten deer away from the side of the road.
* When you encounter deer along the roadside, turn on your emergency lights to let other motorists know about the potential danger.
* Use your high-beam headlights when there is no opposing traffic. The headlight beam will illuminate the eyes of deer and provide greater driver reaction time.
* Upon seeing a deer, immediately slow down. Do not swerve - because this can confuse deer as to where to run. It could also cause you to lose control and hit a tree or another car.
* If you can’t avoid the accident, then just hit the deer while maintaining control of your vehicle. Some experts say that if such a collision is inevitable, you should avoid braking at impact so that the deer may pass underneath your car as opposed to hitting the windshield.
* Look for other deer after one has crossed the road. Deer commonly travel in groups, so the probability is high that other deer will be in front of or behind the one you’ve seen.
* Don’t rely on hood-mounted deer whistles and other devices to scare away deer.
* Always wear your seatbelt. Most people injured and/or killed in deer - automobile collisions were not wearing their seat belt.
* Finally, remember to ... SLOW DOWN FOR WILDLIFE!



Safety: Deer Collision

 

[JoeRider]

BTW - It also helps to yell "Oh Schitt!" just before you hit it. I know that from experience.

 

[calvertgirl]

Still sounds like one of those things that sound good, but aren't really practical in real life. I prefer the technique of driving a vehicle that is much bigger than the deer (i.e. the Ford Excursion that suffered less than $700 damage to the front bumper vs. the Jeep Grand Cherokee that had over $4000 damage, both from hitting a deer broadside)....

 

[lnmarsh]

Still sounds like one of those things that sound good, but aren't really practical in real life. I prefer the technique of driving a vehicle that is much bigger than the deer (i.e. the Ford Excursion that suffered less than $700 damage to the front bumper vs. the Jeep Grand Cherokee that had over $4000 damage, both from hitting a deer broadside)....

Those are all really good tips I'll agree, but when it come to a synerio where you may actually hit a deer (or other animal) its a WHOLE different story. Especially for an inexperienced driver like my brother.

And Ill agree with that "drive a vehicle bigger than the deer" thing! When I first started driving my parents gave me their 300k miles, 1992 GMC pure steel Suburban. That thing got 9mpg, burned oil and would stall for no apperent reason LOL. But if I got hit by anything less than a Mac truck I'd be OK. One time I came around a sharp turn at night. The person coming the other direction had their brights on so it blinded me. Luckily I knew the road well so I didnt run off the road but by the time I could see again there were three deer RIGHT in front of me. I didnt bother swerving - I just hit my brakes and I ended up hitting one of them doing like 40mph+. When I pulled over to check out the damage there was none! Just a little tuft of hair stuck to my bumper. The deer however... well, it was cut in half LOL!

My friend had been following me in her little Ford Focus. She had just gotten it out of the shop from hitting a deer a few weeks before. All she could say was "I am SO glad you hit that and not me!"