Have You Ever Hit A Deer Or Other Animal While Driving?

Question

If NO...it that due to good luck or do you drive defensively?

If YES…it that due to bad luck or do you drive recklessly?

Guys...this is horrible

Answer 1

I say 'bad luck'. Reckless driving doesn't really come into it. At least in Wisconsin, where I live. They just sneak up out of the woods and before you know it, it's in front of you. Once my dad hit and killed a deer with our family minivan and, after he pulled over and was inspecting the damage, a truck of hunters pulled up and asked if they could have it. They threw the deer in the back of the truck and drove off.
"Driving Defensively" is tricky. When you see a deer, your first "defensive" instinct is to swerve, and, usually, that means crashing into oncoming traffic or falling into a ditch. Where I come from there are public service announcements telling drivers to drive straight at a deer instead of swerving, which is sort of the opposite of what a "defensive driver" would think.

Answer 2

I think that I drive defensively, however, I have hit and presumably killed some animals while doing so. Years ago, I saw a possum run out in front of my car while driving on a country road. I instantly took my foot off the gas but decided not to break or swerve for fear of causing the car to run off the narrow road. I heard the animal go under the car and actually apologized for causing it's demise. I remember the incident as clear as day.

I do not think of it as a matter of luck unless you only consider it as bad luck for the animal. I think it is more a matter of percentages or odds that a car meets an animal in the road, which in most cases causes death for the animal.

You bring up the case of hitting a deer in your question. Most deer will be hit on a country road where there are less cars and traffic but more probability of the deer getting hit. The deer can also cause a great deal of damage to the car as well as the driver or passengers.

Birds, on the other hand, seem to get in front of cars, aircraft, or trains out in the open where there is heavy traffic. They probably fly into traffic while chasing a meal.

Answer 3

I am sad to say thay yes, I have.
I was really proud of the fact that I had never hit an animal before that time.

I was driving along a rural two-lane road with the speed limit set at 120km/h - which I was sticking to.
Suddenly, a small little monkey jumped onto the road from the bushes. He was exacly the same colour as the bushes so I only saw him as he came onto the black road.
There was no way that I could swerve to avoid him in time so I attempted to make sure that he went right down the middle, under the car so that my tires would not hit him.
I did not feel any impact so I thought that I missed the poor little thing, but when I looked in my rear view mirror, he was tumbling down the road.

So, yes I have hit an animal and it was purely down to bad luck :-(

Answer 4

Yes, technically both, but mostly bad luck. I was driving recklessly at the time as I was late leaving for college, but the deer hoped over the guardrail right in front of me while I was going around a turn so I didnt see it till I was just about to hit it.

Answer 5

Yes I hit a dog that was chasing a cat, he darted between two parked cars. There was no time to stop or react. It was horrible,even after so many years have passed I still feel badly about the dogs death. It could have been worse but it wasn't due to my defensive driving.

Answer 6

Yes. It was bad luck we were coming home to see my parents and all of a sudden something hit the front of a car. It happened so fast i couldn't even see what it was. Well we found out that it was a deer. Everyone in the car was ok but unfortunately the deer wasn't. Our car how ever wash smashed the whole front end.

Answer 7

Yes I hit a BIG deer jumped almost completely over my hood just cracked one of my lens covers. My bf and I hit a cat once on the hwy. We circled back and found that it was still alive so we rushed it to the vet. She kept the cat until it ran away one day. Both times I think it was wrong time, wrong place for me and the animals.

Answer 8

I hit a rabbit once when I was younger and cried and cried. I have also hit a squirrel but didn't cry, although I felt bad. I also have hit a couple of birds and a butterfly. I felt bad about them too. I'm not sure if it's just bad luck or due to my driving.

Answer 9

Ok, So this is tragic. I was driving from Colorado to New Mexico to visit my family and there I was out on the open road doing about 90-95 mph and I see a flock of corws in the road ahead and when they began to fly away, one got up too late and hit the bottom of my windsheild and rolled over the car, I could hear it and I looked in my rearveiw mirror and saw ti rolling down the road, just to get hit by another truck. I cried so hard. it was so painful to see that.

Answer 10

I drive defensively ... very ... I grew up in rural Texas where deer and other animals dart out in front of you on the highway, day and/or night. You have no warning at all. I have almost hit many deer (but got lucky). I hit an armadillo and I had 2 birds dive-bomb into my windshield (it cracked one of those times). I think that the birds get so hot flying around in Texas they loose their minds and then their direction.