Deer strike on I-295

[Huzband]

Just got to work & turned on the radio.

At 5 this morning, a rider traveling north on I-295, the beltway around Jacksonville, struck a deer that darted across the interstate. The rider was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further info is still a bit sketchy, but early reports say a car may have also strck the deer, & possibly the rider after he fell from his bike.

I know deer strikes are most prevalent in rural or wooded areas, but this is the first I've heard of on a major highway in a city.

[tallman]

Sad news.

Deer strikes do and have happened in many urban and interstate locations.

 

A deer ran into me on Friday in very rural area.

Struck me in right upper arm, fortunately a doe, not a buck w/horns.

My morning commute is mostly in the dark and includes 35 miles through a national forrest.

A car coming out of the woods on the left (rare, I usually only see about 10 vehicles) drew my attention. As I looked back to the road ahead, I caught a flash of white and felt the impact.

Fortunately bike and I stayed upright and continued down the road.

Jacket has hard CE armor in forearm/shoulder and there is an abasion on the arm where it struck me.

Still have some tingling/numbness in hand/arm, but still riding and no damage to the bike.

I already run Motolights and PIAA's.

I went searching for ways to avoid deer and devices that would help.

No such luck.

Found many links and research documents.

http://deercrash.com/

Studies done all over the country w/civilian and public vehicles.

Good reading.

Basically deer whistles don't work, deer don't hear the frequencies and the sound is not discernible even if they did.

One study showed less reaction to vehicles when using deer whistles than when no whistles.

Over 150 people die annually from deer collisions.

Keep your eyes open, good luck.

ps I did buy a lottery ticket.

[Pete Darby]

Urban rats are everywhere. I live near Washington DC and have seen deer running through Arlington National Cemetery which is just across the river from DC. Saw a dead deer on the off ramp about four miles south of DC on 395. Fairfax County which is right next to DC has an extra three and 1/2 months tacked onto the the already three month season. Not to mention that if you have 1/2 acre of yard or more you can get year round kill permits for deer. I often take the backroads but thanks to luck and paying attention to the sides of the road I have had only one close call the last eight years or so.

[compo]

Hello you people, Over here in France we have a device you can fit to cars or 'Bikes and this is powered by the air you pass through. It causes a noise , ultra-sonic, I think, and this scares deer off.. Have not seen any since fitting this. Deer in fields run like the clappers , when you drive past , so seems to work.. It also deters wild Boar , or so the adverts say.. Cost.. Euro's 15 compo

[LDHack]

Deer populations in many urban settings are reported by the Natural Resources Department to be very high. There are no hunters, there are no natural predators. The only predator is the automobile (and motorcycles). I hit one on a busy freeway when I was down in Minneapolis a few years ago, driving my big truck in rush hour traffic after dark. Traffic was moving along fairly fast. Somehow he had crossed three lanes of freeway rush hour traffic, and I hit him when he came off the center grass median. I'm sure he became quite the traffic hazard on the road, because I hit him pretty hard. There was no way to stop at the speed and congestion level of the traffic.

[rrrich]

"...Deer strikes do and have happened in many urban and interstate locations..."

 

Pacific Coast Highway headed south to Santa Monica...morning rush hour traffic...two lanes each direction filled with cars going 0 to 55 mph...100' clifts to the left, a sliver of beachfront houses hanging onto terra firma on the right...after that, 5,000 miles of Pacific Ocean...then China.

 

Deer, enters stage left, bounds across 3 of 4 lanes of traffic headed to...China? , at least the Pacific...before being clobbered by the red Corolla in front of me. Knocked shitless. Stops spinning and continues to beach house, leaping security fence disappearing toward...China?

 

Them critters are EVERYWHERE!

 

And they're stoopid.

 

[tallman]

compo,

before you spend any more euros read some of the research doen on "deer whistles" (see my link above).

They don't produce "ultrasonic" nor do the produce a discernible sound in a frequency that the deer actually hear.

Some tests actually showed a greater response from nearby deer to vehicles w/out the deer whistle.

Two types. One is activated by moving air, you need to be going above 30mph (some say 45ish) to produce a "sound", yet it is not one the deer hear. These are subject to getting clogged.

The electric ones activate w/out the need to move above a certain mph. However, they too don't do what they claim.

After my collision I was ready to spend big bucks for a magic bullet.

Don't take my word. Read the studies (numerous) and save your $$$.

Best wishes.

[MichiganBob]

I had some of those deer whistles on my bike but stupid me -- I put them in backwards. Pulled up to this little bar in the UP and there were 20 deer behind me who came in, sat down and expected me to buy.

 

 

 

Kerchaaannnnnngggg!

 

 

 

 

Ride safe,

 

Bob

[dduelin]

Just got to work & turned on the radio.

At 5 this morning, a rider traveling north on I-295, the beltway around Jacksonville, struck a deer that darted across the interstate. The rider was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further info is still a bit sketchy, but early reports say a car may have also strck the deer, & possibly the rider after he fell from his bike.

I know deer strikes are most prevalent in rural or wooded areas, but this is the first I've heard of on a major highway in a city.

 

I heard the news like you and also live in Jacksonville. My office is less than a mile as the crow flies from the accident scene. It strikes close to home and I feel for the fellow's family and friends.

 

I would like to note that the area is actually very wooded on the west side of highway 295 and there are still large wooded areas of several to tens of acres on the east side there at Commonwealth. There is a large industrial park just west and north of the Commonwealth exit and both sides of Commonwealth and Imeson Roads close to the scene have seen large tracts of wooded land clear-cut for development in the last few weeks and months. The critters that lived there have to go somewhere.

 

The evening news tonight made mention that he apparently lost control during the evasion manuever and went down without actually striking the deer. No helmet, hard road. Without being there I guess we will never know. The film clip showed a Harley bagger w/top box.

[tjsven]

How about this.. Two weekends ago I'm in the U.P. of Michigan.. Sunday just before sunrise headed East on Hwy. 28 just outside of Marquette.. I see something cross the headlights of a car coming towards me... hit the brakes and just miss a MOOSE.. man those things are BIG..

[HoosierStu]

Seems like most deer are hit at night, dawn or dusk.

Is this true?

[bakerzdosen]

Seems like most deer are hit at night, dawn or dusk.

Is this true?

Yes... except for those that occur during the day...

 

It's possible to hit a deer at any time (I just had two jump in front of me two blocks from my house at 10am today). It's just easier to see them and react when things are well lit (like during the day.)

[steve.foote]

Hello you people, Over here in France we have a device you can fit to cars or 'Bikes and this is powered by the air you pass through. It causes a noise , ultra-sonic, I think, and this scares deer off.. Have not seen any since fitting this. Deer in fields run like the clappers , when you drive past , so seems to work.. It also deters wild Boar , or so the adverts say.. Cost.. Euro's 15 compo

 

They don't work on deer, but I've heard they do work on alligators.

[motorman587]

I hit one in 1997 on an K100RS, totalled the bike. It was around 8P, going to "Nickson's Farm House" on 267, for dinner. Two popped out hit the second, took me to the ground. Slide like I was going to home plate with one knee down and one leg up. I do not remember hitting my arm but got road rash on my forearm. Still rode the bike too dinner, bloody and all.

 

That is why Saturday night my two buddies keep riding home in the dark from the BRP, me and wifey, slept in @ Atlanta.

[JoeV]

A lot of dear in the Boston area too.

 

Also coyote.

 

A coyote attacked a small child recently in town

west of Boston.

 

Dear season should be extended based on the dear

"over"-population.