Object driving lesson

So there we are, my kid and I, down a long straight 35 mph rural road. And look. In the oncoming lane, there's a pair of 20' skid marks, pointing toward the shoulder, with a Honda on the edge of the embankment in serious need of a front end alignment. In the road and quite close to the skidmarks was a raccoon who was taking no further interest in the proceedings. The tableau illustrated itself, as clearly as a museum exhibit. After making sure things were under control and we were useless, I spent a few minutes telling That Boy what not to do (under most circumstances) when a critter runs out in front of you...

Opportunity for a teaching moment. 

Remember: if you hit the animal, the insurance company thinks it is the animal's fault.

But if you miss the animal and hit something else, the insurance company thinks it's your fault.

Next valuable skill: how to prep and preserve roadkill deer. Insurance is already buying a hood, might as well have venison to go with it!

Tounge in cheek, but i have spent months living off bumper deer.

Also, get him first aid certified. Cant tell you how many times ive been first on the accident scene and did my damndest until the pros got there. Best drivers training dad ever gave me (boy scout leader, AND was a military medic in the late 60s.)

Duke said:

Remember: if you hit the animal, the insurance company thinks it is the animal's fault.

But if you miss the animal and hit something else, the insurance company thinks it's your fault.

Also remember to the tell insurance company the animal hit you, it's not "I hit a deer last night" it's "a deer ran into me last night"

Also, when in Canada, swerve to avoid the moose. With bellies even height with OBS Ford truck hoods, you will not win that fight. But that's an extreme example.

The motorcycle equivalent of this is "don't swerve for anything you could eat in one sitting."

I instruct my students to search far into their path of travel for objects ahead. Then choose an appropriate speed control option. If they then need to stop they can and should stop in a straight line. Minimizes the need for or the severity of a panic stop. Leaving your intended path of travel is almost always* risky.

See moose comment above. 

My reaction, if I'm going to hit an animal that tries to commit suicide by running out in front of me, is to floor it. If I'm going to hit you, and damage my vehicle, I'm sending you to Hell.

In my years, I have found that if you have time to react to an animal in the road, you probably weren't going to hit it anyway.

Except elk.  They have meetings on the road right over the crest of that hill or around the corner, and they have to read the minutes and vote to accept them before they disperse.

RevRico said:

Duke said:

Remember: if you hit the animal, the insurance company thinks it is the animal's fault.

But if you miss the animal and hit something else, the insurance company thinks it's your fault.

Also remember to the tell insurance company the animal hit you, it's not "I hit a deer last night" it's "a deer ran into me last night"

My only deerstrike was exactly that.  70mph in the right lane of I-44 in Missouri, about 2am, a deer charged at me from the median.  I saw a flash of angry looking reflective eyes as it went for the truck, and the trailer caught it.

That's why the left side of teh RX-7 is all messed up.  I bought it sideswiped, finally got some repair panels painted the correct color and installed, and a couple months later it is smashed and covered with deer guts.  If I fix it, it'll get hit again.

It also is why i laugh when people say they drive in the center lane "so they don't hit deer".  A deer literally crossed the road from the left side in order to hit me in the right lane.

The only deer I ever hit was in a rental.

It was in the middle of the night. I lied to my kids and said we had a flat tire so I could go pull deer leg out of the wheel well.

All of the rabbits, opossums and other small animals just made me make a note to get an undercarriage wash ASAP so the smell wouldn't get too bad.

Knurled. said:

RevRico said:

Duke said:

Remember: if you hit the animal, the insurance company thinks it is the animal's fault.

But if you miss the animal and hit something else, the insurance company thinks it's your fault.

Also remember to the tell insurance company the animal hit you, it's not "I hit a deer last night" it's "a deer ran into me last night"

My only deerstrike was exactly that.  70mph in the right lane of I-44 in Missouri, about 2am, a deer charged at me from the median.  I saw a flash of angry looking reflective eyes as it went for the truck, and the trailer caught it.

 

That's why the left side of teh RX-7 is all messed up.  I bought it sideswiped, finally got some repair panels painted the correct color and installed, and a couple months later it is smashed and covered with deer guts.  If I fix it, it'll get hit again.

 

It also is why i laugh when people say they drive in the center lane "so they don't hit deer".  A deer literally crossed the road from the left side in order to hit me in the right lane.

Got me a six pointer the same way less than a month after buying my Mustang. Dead run across the median into the front corner marker. Wrinkled a lot of sheetmetal and cost the insurance company about 5k but never left the car undrivable