Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Driving from Petworth towards Guildford yesterday, a car on the other side of road came round a corner and turned over a couple of times at speed, and disappeared down a bank out of sight. The traffic on my side of the road all stopped immediately and fearing the worse got out to give assistance. Two young lads emerged up a bank on to the verge none the worse for the accident, though obviously shaken up. They were incredibly lucky not to hit any trees which line the road. The corner was not that sharp, but the road is a quick one though, and they must have been travelling at some speed. It was not obvious what caused the accident at first, until we saw a dead fox on the road. Trying to avoid the fox the lads had nearly killed themselves. We get a lot of deer on the road which you do need to avoid as they can cause series damage, but swerving off the road to avoid a fox is not recommended. I hate to think what would have happened if they had swerved back into the traffic heading in my direction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Wow' Frightening. If something runs in front of you on a fast road ..Don't Swerve.. You are more than likely to have a big accident rather than hitting the object in front of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) Where exactly did it happen? I drive in that area quite a bit. (Surely damage to your car isn't the only reason you try to avoid deer? I would always try to avoid animals if it didn't put me or anyone else in danger. Got nothing to do with wanting to avoid damaging my car - they've got a right to exist). Edited June 20, 2014 by sipar69 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 It's an automatic reaction to avoid something animate or inanimate that comes suddenly into your line of vision. Very few people will the reactions needed to sum up what the danger is and take the appropriate action. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) I'm so soppy I once stopped the Z on a deserted country road to usher a baby bunny off the road. PS reading my earlier post it sounds like I'm having a go at the OP. Not intended. Edited June 20, 2014 by sipar69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmillions Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 My driving instructor told me if the animal will come up over the bonnet then swerve otherwise it is safer not to (or something along those lines), hard call to make in a split second when instinct takes over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skahigh Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 This kind of thing is scary. I once saw a car gently veer (at 70 odd mph) from the outside lane of the motorway in front of me, all the way across three lanes of traffic, the hard shoulder and eventually, fly off the side and down the (roughly 30 foot) embankment, all without a dab of the brake pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Can anyone honestly say they would not swerve given the chance - natural instinct I would have thought when an impact might do more than damage the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) Where exactly did it happen? I drive in that area quite a bit. (Surely damage to your car isn't the only reason you try to avoid deer? I would always try to avoid animals if it didn't put me or anyone else in danger. Got nothing to do with wanting to avoid damaging my car - they've got a right to exist). Few miles out of Petworth before the turning to Hazlemere. The serious damage I mentioned was not to the car, but to me. Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. I would try and avoid an animal if it meant not endangering myself and other road users. But if a deer runs out in front of you, and it is on a busy road with traffic coming towards you, and you do not have time to break what would you do? I might take my chances swerving off the road, as a deer through the windscreen might be terminal. A fox in the same circumstances would have to take it's chances though. Unfortunately it is one of the dangers of living in the country. You hear of people being killed on country roads, when they have just driven off the road. I think a lot might be caused by animals running in front of cars. Edited June 20, 2014 by Richy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 I'm so soppy I once stopped the Z on a deserted country road to usher a baby bunny off the road. PS reading my earlier post it sounds like I'm having a go at the OP. Not intended. Just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 It's an automatic reaction to avoid something animate or inanimate that comes suddenly into your line of vision. Very few people will the reactions needed to sum up what the danger is and take the appropriate action. Pete I had a cat run out in front of me from no where. Strangely everything seemed to go in slow motion, and somehow my brain told me not to swerve as my alternatives were to hit an oncoming car or drive straight into a stone wall. I had the family in the car as well, so instincts said to hit the anchors as hard as possible but not swerve. I was on a road I drove on every day, so local knowledge may have helped, plus a bit of experience from having been driving for nearly 40 years. Does show you need to be concentrating at all times, and expect the unexpected. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. Yes, I have. I was on my way to a National Park in Utah early in the morning when an ambulance flew past me. A few miles further on a car had hit a deer and it had gone straight through the windscreen, absolutely horrific sight and both deer and driver perished. I'm not making this up but I also once saw a donkey get hit by a car containing 4 or 5 nuns directly in front of me , luckily neither the donkey or the nuns were hurt as the impact was at about 20 mph. This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skahigh Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. Yes, I have. I was on my way to a National Park in Utah early in the morning when an ambulance flew past me. A few miles further on a car had hit a deer and it had gone straight through the windscreen, absolutely horrific sight and both deer and driver perished. I'm not making this up but I also once saw a donkey get hit by a car containing 4 or 5 nuns directly in front of me , luckily neither the donkey or the nuns were hurt as the impact was at about 20 mph. This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete Driving cars is probably a false economy for nuns, they would get everywhere late as they keep stopping to tend to the donkeys they have run over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. .................This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete I guess they don't make a habit of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. Yes, I have. I was on my way to a National Park in Utah early in the morning when an ambulance flew past me. A few miles further on a car had hit a deer and it had gone straight through the windscreen, absolutely horrific sight and both deer and driver perished. I'm not making this up but I also once saw a donkey get hit by a car containing 4 or 5 nuns directly in front of me , luckily neither the donkey or the nuns were hurt as the impact was at about 20 mph. This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete Just as well you didn't drive into the back of the nuns car. Try explaining that one on an insurance claim. Jasper Carrot would have loved you though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 It's an automatic reaction to avoid something animate or inanimate that comes suddenly into your line of vision. Very few people will the reactions needed to sum up what the danger is and take the appropriate action. Pete I had a cat run out in front of me from no where. Strangely everything seemed to go in slow motion, and somehow my brain told me not to swerve as my alternatives were to hit an oncoming car or drive straight into a stone wall. I had the family in the car as well, so instincts said to hit the anchors as hard as possible but not swerve. I was on a road I drove on every day, so local knowledge may have helped, plus a bit of experience from having been driving for nearly 40 years. Does show you need to be concentrating at all times, and expect the unexpected. Yes, Avoiding something needn't involve swerving, more often than not just braking will do the trick, or even doing nothing at all. I've hit 2 cats in my time, one at night and just didn't get the time to react in either case sadly. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. Yes, I have. I was on my way to a National Park in Utah early in the morning when an ambulance flew past me. A few miles further on a car had hit a deer and it had gone straight through the windscreen, absolutely horrific sight and both deer and driver perished. I'm not making this up but I also once saw a donkey get hit by a car containing 4 or 5 nuns directly in front of me , luckily neither the donkey or the nuns were hurt as the impact was at about 20 mph. This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete Just as well you didn't drive into the back of the nuns car. Try explaining that one on an insurance claim. Jasper Carrot would have loved you though. I was a good way back, say 50 yards, and it all happened in slow motion. I was in a way lucky as the nuns (in a Renault) had only just passed me. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richy Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. Yes, I have. I was on my way to a National Park in Utah early in the morning when an ambulance flew past me. A few miles further on a car had hit a deer and it had gone straight through the windscreen, absolutely horrific sight and both deer and driver perished. I'm not making this up but I also once saw a donkey get hit by a car containing 4 or 5 nuns directly in front of me , luckily neither the donkey or the nuns were hurt as the impact was at about 20 mph. This was in the middle of France in 1975 and the first and only time I've seen a nun driving a car. Pete Just as well you didn't drive into the back of the nuns car. Try explaining that one on an insurance claim. Jasper Carrot would have loved you though. I was a good way back, say 50 yards, and it all happened in slow motion. I was in a way lucky as the nuns (in a Renault) had only just passed me. Pete Not sure you should admit to having been overtaken by nuns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Where exactly did it happen? I drive in that area quite a bit. (Surely damage to your car isn't the only reason you try to avoid deer? I would always try to avoid animals if it didn't put me or anyone else in danger. Got nothing to do with wanting to avoid damaging my car - they've got a right to exist). Few miles out of Petworth before the turning to Hazlemere. The serious damage I mentioned was not to the car, but to me. Have you seen the result of a deer going over a car bonnet and through a windscreen. I would try and avoid an animal if it meant not endangering myself and other road users. But if a deer runs out in front of you, and it is on a busy road with traffic coming towards you, and you do not have time to break what would you do? I might take my chances swerving off the road, as a deer through the windscreen might be terminal. A fox in the same circumstances would have to take it's chances though. Unfortunately it is one of the dangers of living in the country. You hear of people being killed on country roads, when they have just driven off the road. I think a lot might be caused by animals running in front of cars. As someone who cares a lot about animals it makes me sad to see the amount of dead animals you see along the side of the road. It's just a fact of life that animals don't seem to have the inbuilt ability to realise that legging it across a busy road isn't a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Not sure you should admit to having been overtaken by nuns. I was driving a 1.0 Mini at the time on my way to Monaco. With 3 of us in the car which was loaded beyond belief I didn't really have much choice . Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock_Steady Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 A deer will take the chassis away. I can remember my dad once had an accident by crashing into a deer. Needed a new windscreen, bonnet, wing, bumper, radiator. It was almost a write off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Last count we have had 3 (might be 4 actually) 200SX's written off after impact with badgers, alive or dead it seems they are equally a menace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WINKJ Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Not sure you should admit to having been overtaken by nuns. I was driving a 1.0 Mini at the time on my way to Monaco. With 3 of us in the car which was loaded beyond belief I didn't really have much choice . Pete your posts never cease to amaze me Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT4 Zed Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Lucky lads! However I think it all comes down to what speed you are doing when suddenly encountering a hazard. But the first natural reaction should be to use the brakes👀! It will almost be sufficient to either minimise the impact or avoid it totally. You can swerve as appropriate when you have scrubbed off speed. This is what ABS was designed for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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