Dead Deer in middle of road

[dmixon]

Two nights ago I was heading home from work in Richmond Va. East on 64 about 4:30-4:45PM towards williamsburg, going about 70mph, Left lane following a truck. To my surprise without any notice from traffic slowing down or brake lights there was a dead deer on the center line between the 2 lanes. Now that really got your mind racing and thinking if I would have changed lanes or even been around when the deer was hit going accross the road, what would I or what could I have done. I uasually done think about deer to much, but I do see 1 or 2 dead during my commute this time of year.

[Firefight911]

Not to minimize the potential consequence but what is the difference with a deer in the road vs. a pot hole, or a ladder?

 

Planning ahead, scanning, not outriding your sight lines are all pivotal in navigating the daily risks faced in our sport. Playing the what if game as you ride, etc.

 

I am glad you were not in a position of hitting the obstacle but I feel that any obstacle must be "planned" for by defensive riding.

[waylap]

What WOULD likely happen if you hit a ladder, deer or such laying in the roadway while on an RT?

 

In motor school we had to hit a 4 x 4 post in the road at about 30mph but I can't imagine something bigger.

[dmixon]

Well I think theres a lot of differance between a pot hole and a ladder or deer, Yes I also had to drive over a 4x4 board in motorcycle training, not quite the same, only going 25 MPH and 3 1/2 tall on a Honda 250 Hawk, a deer is any where from 6" to 16" tall depending on where you contact it, Nothing good will ever come out of hitting a ladder or deer on the hiway at 70 or even 40MPH

[T__]

What WOULD likely happen if you hit a ladder, deer or such laying in the roadway while on an RT?

 

In motor school we had to hit a 4 x 4 post in the road at about 30mph but I can't imagine something bigger.

 

 

waylap, I really don’t know but almost found out a few weeks ago.. Was riding in the L/H lane on a 3 lane local freeway doing close to 90 mph when a 12’-14’ fiberglass ladder slid across the lanes from between the cars & trucks from the R/H two lanes.. Must have fallen from a truck then got hit & spun by a car or truck.. Darn thing completely blocked my lane as I was just going by a car on my right.. Braked as had as I could,, that scrubbed off about 40 mph or so,, & also gave the car to my right just enough time to get back in front of me,, then just enough real-estate to get off the brakes enough to lay it over hard & duck in behind him.. Missed the spinning ladder by about 2 feet..

 

I was got up off the seat & back on the bike as I was braking hard with the intention of braking as hard as I could right up to the ladder then trying to throttle over it.. As you mentioned on your 4x4 training I also had to jump a 4x4 in an advanced riding class years ago so that looked like my only option until that car to my right moved by me just enough to give me room behind him.. I don’t think the guy to my right saw the ladder coming as I am sure he would have braked & blocked me in my lane if he saw it..

 

Didn’t even phase me at the time as I just kept going & went right back up to speed afterwards but after I got to where I was going & got off the bike & though back on it it kind of gave me the shivers..

 

Twisty

 

[gottabmw]

The key, when going that fast, is to not follow the vehicle in front of you too closely.

[Huzband]

What WOULD likely happen if you hit a ladder, deer or such laying in the roadway while on an RT?

 

In motor school we had to hit a 4 x 4 post in the road at about 30mph but I can't imagine something bigger.

 

Difference is, you knew the 4x4 was there.

 

Two days ago, while going home, I was riding through a construction zone behind a couple of cars, with a row of those big orange barrels on my left. Suddenly, there appeared a barrel on its side further to my left, with the base in the left wheel track of my lane, where I normally reside. Through wisdom, or by the grace of God, I was in the right side of the lane this time.

 

Luck favors the prepared.

[dhanson]

"The more I practice the luckier I get", Gary Player.

 

One of our local clubers relates his story of coming in at night on a ride and due to lots of woods and deer in area, chooses to follow a 18 wheeler.

 

Dead dog in road middle of lane, no warning what so ever, just wham, didn't go down but nearly had a heart attack!

[Mister Tee]

Also, don't assume a sack or a small cardboard box sitting in the roadway is harmless to run in to either. A few years ago one of my assistants was driving her Tercel down a dark, dimly lit mountain road and came up on a carboard box. She opted to run it over as she didn't feel she could swerve around it and it looked harmless, except it had an engine block inside it, and she completely totalled her car.

 

An aquaintance of mine and is wife were killed two years ago on the freeway when their Harly hit a barbeque that fell of the back of a pickup. Personally, I'm paranoid about things falling off trucks, so I do my best to avoid them, or keep behind them far enough so I can miss falling objects.

[Agent_Orange]

Time and space are your friend.

[Jerry_75_Guy]

Time and space are your friend.

 

As pithy and succinct a response as I can imagine for the thread

 

I like that: gonna' have to save that one for future use

[GregB]

When the R75/5 was fairly new, I had a matress fly off a pickup truck ahead of me on the freeway. It flopped flat an instant before I ran over it. It was exciting but I didn't go down.

 

It seemed at the time that the suspension travel on that bike was HUGE compared to the Triumphs and BSA bikes that I had been riding. I assumed that was the reason that I made it OK along with being 20-something and having lots of current dirt experience. I wonder if the RT would do as well.

[TEWKS]

Not a single mention of the hooved menace.

 

 

Pat

[Bruce H]

a few years ago I was following a semi truck, he drove over a piece of plywood. the suction from his trailer caused it to stand up verticaly. just as I got there it layed down, for sure I thought I would hit it. didn't like it much.

[Boone60]

[Was riding in the L/H lane on a 3 lane local freeway doing close to 90 mph when a 12’-14’ fiberglass ladder slid across the lanes from between the cars & trucks from the R/H two lanes..

 

Why were you going 90 mph?

[xoomerite]

Last year, I was headed west and ran through a deer carcass on the interstate. Evidently, it had just been hit by the fast, night traffic. A slight rise in the road hid it from view until I was right on top of it. Strange sensation on par with a sudden encounter with some mud. It seemed as if I split it in two, when I hit it. I stayed up and kept on. Creepy.

[T__]

[Was riding in the L/H lane on a 3 lane local freeway doing close to 90 mph when a 12’-14’ fiberglass ladder slid across the lanes from between the cars & trucks from the R/H two lanes..

 

Why were you going 90 mph?

 

 

Boone, because I was in the L/H lane & that is what it takes in my area to keep up with traffic in the L/H lane at times.. BTW I wasn’t quite doing 90 it was probably closer to 88 mph GPS (was showing 95 on the speedometer,, that’s about 88 on the GPS).. These darn BMW’s have a real optimistic speedometer reading..

 

Probably lucky I was going that fast,, if I had been going slower more than likely I would have had a Buick 3’ from my rear tire & trying to push me along.. That would have been a real problem with me braking as hard as I had to.. Speed doesn’t bother me,, a car or truck kissing my rear tire does..

 

Twisty

 

 

[Boone60]

Boone, because I was in the L/H lane & that is what it takes in my area to keep up with traffic in the L/H lane at times.. BTW I wasn’t quite doing 90 it was probably closer to 88 mph GPS (was showing 95 on the speedometer,, Twisty[/quote

 

The sheriff and troopers would never allow traffic to move that fast around here.

[Polo]

We seem to be beating a dead deer here...

[Dave in Doodah]

They (the sheriffs and troopers) would never let us do that here, either... if they caught us. Sadly, I live in the wide open midwest where the traffic-to-LEO ratio is much more cumbersome (but much more safe). I could live with THAT, were it not for the higher ratio of a-holes to sane drivers....

[11101110]

A few weeks ago I hit a deer in my car. The damn this was trying to cross the road at full speed but failed (though with momentum it did almost make it across the median and other two lanes before coming to rest in the shoulder). I doubt any amount of scanning would have seen this creature before the hit. It was night and the surounding terain hid it. I am sure I imparted a siginificant quantity of energy into the deer and that anyone in the worng place coming the oppisite direction would have had a much worse impact.

 

Speaking of matresses. I picked up my new to me 99 MB E320 wagon (spent the second bike money ) from Alexendria VA this past Saturday and I learned a very important lesson (ok I wouldn't do this to begin with so I really didn't learn anything). DON'T TIE A MATRESS TO THE TOP OF YOUR CAR WITH ITTY BITTY TWINE AND EXPECT IT TO STAY THERE WHILE YOU ARE DOING OVER 70 MPH ON I-95. I saw at least four matresses or box springs by the side of the road. Two people retriving their matresses from the side of the road, risking their lives. And one instance where the matress was about to have a flying lesson . All of this was between I-395 and Fredricksburg.

[Lion_lady]

Two nights ago I was heading home from work in Richmond Va. East on 64 about 4:30-4:45PM towards williamsburg, going about 70mph, Left lane following a truck. To my surprise without any notice from traffic slowing down or brake lights there was a dead deer on the center line between the 2 lanes. Now that really got your mind racing and thinking if I would have changed lanes or even been around when the deer was hit going accross the road, what would I or what could I have done. I uasually done think about deer to much, but I do see 1 or 2 dead during my commute this time of year.

 

A good example of why it's smart to ride in the "wheel track" behind traffic, not in the center of the lane. Cars/trucks don't have to swerve to avoid something between their wheels, but they will swerve to avoid something in a wheel track. That swerve is often the only warning you'll get that there's something in the road.

 

P

[Joel]

Last year, I was headed west and ran through a deer carcass on the interstate. Evidently, it had just been hit by the fast, night traffic. A slight rise in the road hid it from view until I was right on top of it. Strange sensation on par with a sudden encounter with some mud. It seemed as if I split it in two, when I hit it. I stayed up and kept on. Creepy.

 

A similar peril: when a deer is hit at high speed, the carcass can come to rest quite a ways from the point of impact. Cresting a small hill in the dark this fall, going the speed limit, I spied a carcass just an instant before I could see that I was going to plow through the puddle of viscera made by the initial impact. I didn't have time to twitch, and it was probably a good thing I didn't. I felt a little wiggle as I rolled through the goo. And then I exhaled.

[AviP]

[quote=Lion_ladyA good example of why it's smart to ride in the "wheel track" behind traffic, not in the center of the lane. Cars/trucks don't have to swerve to avoid something between their wheels, but they will swerve to avoid something in a wheel track. That swerve is often the only warning you'll get that there's something in the road.

Very good point. I usually ride in the left track since it also helps me for passing. BTW , a deer just jumped out in front of me today while I was in my car. And this is right on my street.

[Linz]

Crossin' the highway late last night

He shoulda looked left and he shoulda looked right

He didn't see the station wagon car

The skunk got squashed and there you are!

 

You got yer

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road

Stinkin' to high Heaven!

 

Take a whiff on me, that ain't no rose!

Roll up yer window and hold yer nose

You don't have to look and you don't have to see

'Cause you can feel it in your olfactory

 

You got yer

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road

Stinkin' to high Heaven!

 

Yeah you got yer dead cat and you got yer dead dog

On a moonlight night you got yer dead toad frog

Got yer dead rabbit and yer dead raccoon

The blood and the guts they're gonna make you swoon!

You got yer

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road

Stinkin' to high Heaven!

 

C'mon stink!

 

You got it!

It's dead, it's in the middle

Dead skunk in the middle!

Dead skunk in the middle of the road

Stinkin' to high heaven!

All over the road, technicolor man!

Oh, you got pollution

It's dead, it's in the middle

And it's stinkin' to high, high Heaven

 

Sorry, the thread title made me do it...

 

Linz

[tallman]

My deer yesterday weren't dead.

They were in the middle of the raod (2 yearlings) and momma was on the shoulder.

I got closer and closer, they didn't budge.

I had to stop.

I've heard of playing chicken, but this was ridiculous.

I finally lifted front of helmet and that scared momma who bolted left and the kids went right.

Otherwise, I might still be sitting there.

Lesson learned again about how unpredictable they are as they've always left the roadway before.

Maybe I was their first...

[Nice n Easy Rider]

My deer yesterday weren't dead.

They were in the middle of the raod (2 yearlings) and momma was on the shoulder.

I got closer and closer, they didn't budge.

I had to stop.

I've heard of playing chicken, but this was ridiculous.

I finally lifted front of helmet and that scared momma who bolted left and the kids went right.

Otherwise, I might still be sitting there.

Lesson learned again about how unpredictable they are as they've always left the roadway before.

Maybe I was their first...

 

I had one just slowly saunter across the road as I approached in my cage earlier this week. I had slowed down and was within 10-15 feet before it got off the pavement. It was not that young either. Maybe they are just getting more and more acclimated to vehicles which, if so, will not be good (for either them or us!).

[Paul Mihalka]

Another strange deer event, a few years back: Early morning on empty 3 lane I70 interstate (between Hagerstown and Hancock for locals) from far I see a mama doe and a little one in the very center of the road. I slow down more and more. When I'm may be 200 feet away mama doe starts running circles around Bambi in the middle of the road. Obviously a act of defense. I pulled to the shoulder, no car came, and after a few loops they run away at full speed with hoofs slipping on the pavement. Odd!

[Mike]

Another strange deer event, a few years back: Early morning on empty 3 lane I70 interstate (between Hagerstown and Hancock for locals) from far I see a mama doe and a little one in the very center of the road. I slow down more and more. When I'm may be 200 feet away mama doe starts running circles around Bambi in the middle of the road. Obviously a act of defense. I pulled to the shoulder, no car came, and after a few loops they run away at full speed with hoofs slipping on the pavement. Odd!

 

Beautiful and graceful, deer are among God's more stupid creatures.

[g_frey]

A few years back I was coming back from a 1000 mile <24 hour ride (the last time I do that if I can help it) when I kept seeing deer. Lots of deer, 41 to be exact within ~3 miles of road. This did not count the deer that were in the fields (probably about 200+), just the ones between the fences on the road. Since it was 2 in the morning and I was very very tired I finally settled on 25 MPH as a reasonable top speed. Most would get off the pavement but some would not. Some crossed to the opposite side in front of me, some stayed on the pavement? None were in a hurry, all seemed to resent that I was there and moved grudgingly if at all. I sometimes wonder if it actually happened since I have never seen that since. That was the trip where the coyote was yapping at me for a half hour when I stopped and where I heard a wolf howl once not too far away in the dark too. I also found the curviest paved road in Montana on that trip too. Near Yaak, MT if you don't mind blind curves, bear shit, 1.5 lanes or less, rocks, logging debris, rare opposing traffic on YOUR side of the road, and other assorted hazards. It seemed a little too tight for an RT too!

[Todd_Z1]

My experience with deer.

 

[Forrest Gump] "That's all I have to say about that."

 

Deer

[Paul Mihalka]

My experience with deer.

 

[Forrest Gump] "That's all I have to say about that."

 

Deer

Yep, same experience. I have two deer kills with the bike. If you are out of luck, you don't have time to get off the throttle.

[Boone60]

Last year late at night, I had an unknown guy on a Sportster pass me fast on the right side of a two lane county road. I told my girlfirend he better watch out or he's going to hit a deer. A mile down the road and smack, I got broadsided by a deer while on the RT. It hit into my girlfriend's knee and then into the side case. Her knee was bruised, but no other damage was done.