Sep 30, 2011

GEICO vs Deer

GEICO has some advice about avoiding hoofed rats. It's not bad: http://www.geico.com/information/publications/newsletter/2011/deer-safety-tips/

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every vehicle/deer collision that I've seen, experienced or heard of, involved a deer doing something unexpected. Wear your gear (I'm glad I was).

T.W. Day said...

Agreed. Of course, that's true for drivers, too. I suspect most crashes occur when one or more of the humans involved do something idiotic (hopefully, unexpected but not always). I've found that anticipating the other road users' next idiot move is the best way to avoid a crash.

And AGAT forever.

Anonymous said...

I know every credible study says they don't work, but since I installed cheapo Walmart deer whistles on my family cars and my motorcycle I have had zero encounters in the last eight years or so of driving in deer country. I see deer turn and look, and then turn tail all the time. So, maybe they are just good luck charms, but I'll take the good luck. It's better than the near misses we had previously.

T.W. Day said...

I've had the same deer experience without the deer repellant good luck charms. Mostly, deer don't want to get killed by vehicles but they aren't bright enough to figure out how to avoid it.

I have suspected that this is good advice for a while, "Stay Center. On a multi-lane road, the center lane is your safest bet for avoiding a deer collision, as long as your local traffic laws permit it. This gives deer plenty of space; and in case your vehicle does startle them, it gives you more time to react if one darts onto the road." That has been my good luck charm for a few hundred thousand miles.