Hi guys,

I've posted several "don't do what I did" type stories. This one is similar, who knows(?) - if I had read a post like this yesterday afternoon . . . I might still have a right front headlight.

Took a ride last night. Jeep behind me, thought to self, is he too close/ are those high beams?, looked back to road - DEER!! BRAKES ON!! CAN'T STOP FAST ENOUGH TURN LEFT ( go around)! FRIGGIN DEER DECIDED TO RUN AS FAST AS HE COULD - IN FRONT OF ME JUST AS I PROCESSED: OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE NOT EMPTY- THEY'RE FAR BUT(?).

Decided not to veer into oncoming lane, just might have run into someone head on. Stood on brakes, clipped deer.

Right front headlight disintegrated, fender dented. Oh and the leaper gone.(I smile at the thought of some neighbor finding a dead deer on his front lawn, with a Jaguar leaper protruding from its chest)

What could I have done differently? Maybe to keep focused - this is deer country/keep scanning!

Look it'd make me feel good if this helps you tonight. I'm ok I've got collision, comp, and a trustworthy body shop.

Take care guys,

John

 

Leaper ? What leaper ?

Z

PS: glad no injuries (to you). Don’t know about New Jersey, but sizable road kill out here gets harvested by coyotes or hungry people pretty quickly

 

Glad to hear you made out without serious injury. I've hit a few critters on the road over the years and deer are the worst. A deer will get startled and jump out of the ditch right into the middle of the road leaving you no time for evasive action. Great that the car suffered minimal damage and you'll be getting it fixed. Up here if it gets a minimal dent the insurance companies will try to write it off.

 

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your car...its deer season! Same dilemma with my xk8 two weeks ago but with a baby deer. Little sucker flew...but got up and I saw him later with a doe so I'm guessing hes okay. Car behind me didnt slow quick enough and totaled my jag. Insurance guy said you would not believe how many deer calls they are getting right now.

I'd recommend having a body shop look at it and tell you how extensive the damage is. In California, deer collisions are not your fault, so if you make a claim it shouldnt affect your insurance rate. Depends on what your insurance plan is on whether or not you're covered.

Really does make you appreciate what you have in the moment, because there is no rewind button...

 

John

sorry to hear about your deer encounter but doesn’t surprise me. New Jersey seems to be the deer capital of the world lol. I was always super paranoid riding my motorcycle in Ocean and Monmouth at any time day or night. Well you could always take my advice as I told you in the past get out of the Socialist republic of New Jersey and come on down to South Carolina with all us other expats from up north. Lol Doesn’t sound that bad I’m sure you’ll be back on the road soon.

Cheers!

 

Thanks guys. Figured I'd include an interesting deer fact:

I'd always wondered if those plastic "Deer Whistles" work. For those unfamiliar, they're plastic stick on devices with a conical hole front to back. Permise: the air forced through the "whistle" causes it to resonate, producing an ultra sonic sound, a loud warning of your approach. "It'll scare the deer away before you get there".

That sound is too high for us to hear, but deer(?) - yes they hear it.

I was standing in a deli waiting for a sandwich right next to 2 local policemen one day. Then it hit me lets ask them. I introduced myself and recognized that with all the driving on patrol, they probably have to worry about deer accidents more than anyone else. If those deer whistles worked, it'd be a no brainer to put one on every patrol car. Do your cars have them?, i asked.

They just smiled and looked at each other, explaining: "John we've got frame mounted push bars on every patrol car out there - the deer have to worry about us, not the other way around!".

Ok strike one.

A short while later I was talking cars with my next door neighbor. He used to own a collision repair shop (light bulb goes on! Ask him!).

Well I asked him (funny how this question makes folks smile to themselves), he just replied: "John i lost count of how many deer collisions we repaired. Just about every single one of those cars had the deer whistles attached. - Strike 2 & 3 as far as I was concerned.

So, don't waste your $$$, they're about as useful as a pet rock ;-).

John

 

Yea the deer whistles work. The deer hear them. Then they run in every direction. It could be right at your car or the opposite direction. In other words, the whistles make the deer panic stricken, not logical thinkers.


Z

 

It happens so quickly that you don't have much time to think.
Staying in your lane was a smart move.
Here's a deer strike from our daughter's dash cam.

[Caution - not for the sensitive - contains a loud scream & expletive and a high-energy deer impact]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21563006@N04/48809588022/

 

Sanchius, wow what a video - gave me PTSD watching it(!) Ha ha

Z, too bad Mythbusters is gone - would've been a perfect episode!

 

Better a deer than camel if you're living/driving in the Middle East! A camel is just the right height for you to take its legs away then his body arrives at your windscreen and doesn't stop!