Accident

[Wezzel]

Driving into work this morning through sunny Virginia Water I saw a poor soul sat on the verge with his rather sad and scratched Harley next to him. In the road was a rather mangled young deer about the size of a large dog.

I stopped to see if he was alright and he said he was. He looked okay but was obviously shaken and a little battered and bloody. He had phoned the Police and was waiting for them to come and remove the carcass.

It just goes to show how quickly and abruptly one's day can take a change for the worse (and I include the poor deer in that).

It's probably worth thinking about next time you are going that little bit too fast, especially in the country and with loved ones in the car.

 

[pammy]

Dog sized - could be a muntjac.

But in one of my tales from my sojourn to France - that could have been us. A female Red Deer ran in front of the car one evening. I didn't hit her, but a couple more seconds down the road and I would have done and there would have been nothing I could have done about it. It was nothing to do with how fast I was or wasn't going. She just jumped straight over the hedge across the road and into the field of sunflowers opposite. I could not have seen her coming.

It might have been the same for this poor guy. It is as much about luck & timing as speed.

 

[splang]

Indeed - if he was going faster he might have missed the deer - same if he was going slower... you never can tell...

 

[Ted]

Phew! Hope the bike isn't too bad.

BTW venison is best with a bit of redcurrant jelly iirc

 

[IanA2]

Dog sized - could be a muntjac.

Do Muntjac's frequent Surrey...?....we have them around us...also Seekers and native deer.....I've not managed to get my mits on one yet, but I'm told Muntjac's are v toothsome

 

[Wezzel]

My point was that he did hit it and it did take him off the bike but he must have been riding pretty sensibly as he wasn't badly hurt.

I have see nutters doing 70 or 80mph though on that stretch of road and if it had been one of them they almost certainly wouldn't have gotten off that lightly and may well have taken one or more other motorists with them.

Just a thought.

Incidentally, I don't know what breed the deer was but it was an even mid brown colour (not a spotty one). I'll have to check up on the web later.

 

[BTB 500]

I was coming back home along an unrestricted dual carriageway (A322 towards Bracknell) at about 11PM Monday night, and passed a large deer grazing on the grass verge right by the edge of the road. Never seen one there before.

 

[Doodle]

It's quite possible that being on the Harley was one of the reasons he hit the deer; they're not particularly swift or agile at doing anything.
It is eminently possible that on something a bit sportier he could have avoided it - but then he might have been going a bit quicker in the first place.

 

[glojo]

It's quite possible that being on the Harley was one of the reasons he hit the deer; they're not particularly swift or agile at doing anything.
It is eminently possible that on something a bit sportier he could have avoided it - but then he might have been going a bit quicker in the first place.

With wild animals you are in the lap of the Gods regarding injury. Has speed got anything to do with whether you can take avoiding action? I think it a totally unfair suggestion to make and there but for the grace of anyone goes the rest of us. On the Tour de France we saw at least two incidents where dogs run out in front of cyclists who had NO CHANCE of avoiding those dogs. Down here at Haldon there are one or two fatal accidents each year where deer have been the catalyst. Sometimes the deer jumps into the road and goes straight through the windscreen, other times drivers try to avoid the animal and it is the evasive action that kills them. This motorcyclist was extremely lucky and thankfully appears to be not too badly hurt. As Wezzel quite rightly points out, one minute we are at peace with our surroundings, the next we might be in collision with it.

Eat, drink and be merry
because tomorrow we might need
......mobilo

Take care
John

 

[Rose Chap]

Moral of this story is drive an armoured Land Rover with bullbars and a reinforced windscreen as fast as you can but avoid Bracknell.

 

[BTB 500]

Yup not many unrestricted roads (or even motorways) are so securely fenced off that there is NO chance of an animal getting onto them. It's just one of those things, nobody is going to drive everywhere at 20 just in case.

 

[Wezzel]

With wild animals you are in the lap of the Gods regarding injury. Has speed got anything to do with whether you can take avoiding action? I think it a totally unfair suggestion to make and there but for the grace of anyone goes the rest of us.

Put it this way. If I had an animal run out in front of me I would rather be doing 30mph than 70mph.

 

[Wezzel]

Bill,

I remember some years ago a car drove into a fully grown deer in the exact spot you mention (heading towards Bracknell just after the Swinley Road roundabout). I don't know how fast the car was going but it was completely trashed.

 

[glojo]

Put it this way. If I had an animal run out in front of me I would rather be doing 30mph than 70mph.

Where these fatal accidents occur is the main A380 dual carriageway road that connects Exeter to Torquay. It is a high speed route and travelling at 30mph would be definitely more dangerous than travelling at 70mph.

Interestingly enough the majority of fatal accidents occur at speeds lower than 30mph, but deer incidents usually occur on dark, unrestricted highways. Who here travels at 30mph on unrestricted, quiet road? Whether we hit an animal at 30 or 70mph is academic

I hate to say this but if a SMALL animal runs out in front of you, then you are usually better to steer a straight course. If an animal runs out directly in front of you then by the time the eyes have informed the brain and the brain assessed the information and then issued instructions to the limbs to take avoiding action....... You have usually collided with whatever runs out into your path.

John

 

[Doodle]

John,

I think you've misunderstood my point...it was no reference to the specific details of the event, or the riders skill (unknown), or the unpredictablity of wild animals (well documented), more aimed specifically at the piss poor handling and performance of the Harley - had I been on mine instead of the Aprilia I couple of weekends back I'd have probably had a hospital trip c/o the MG driver.

However, that much mass, wheelbase and steel probably helped considerably in the actual impact.

Now, someone fire up the grill, we've got a nice bit of freshly tenderised venison here

 

[BTB 500]

Bill,

I remember some years ago a car drove into a fully grown deer in the exact spot you mention (heading towards Bracknell just after the Swinley Road roundabout). I don't know how fast the car was going but it was completely trashed.

Interesting, wonder why they don't have these up?

 

[Flash]

Yesterday I was drivng and the lights were green for me to turn left and all of a sudden a very old lady with one of those "trolley bags" on wheels that old peopel have decides to cross the road without looking at snails pace...

 

[splang]

Yesterday I was drivng and the lights were green for me to turn left and all of a sudden a very old lady with one of those "trolley bags" on wheels that old peopel have decides to cross the road without looking at snails pace...

I trust you kept a straight line and used the star as your cross-hair!!

 

[Flash]

I trust you kept a straight line and used the star as your cross-hair!!

 

[Shude]

Yesterday I was drivng and the lights were green for me to turn left and all of a sudden a very old lady with one of those "trolley bags" on wheels that old peopel have decides to cross the road without looking at snails pace...

Was the lady crossing the road you were turning in to? If so then she may have had "priority"!