Vans, RVs, Busses and collisions with large herbivores at night

[josephusminimus]

This isn't a safety issue gets much discussion, but it's a real one and probably of a lot higher probablilty than the plethora of others people spend a lot more time fretting about.&nbsp; I hit a deer last night on the road between Kerrville and my current parking location last night and it got me thinking about it while my heartbeat slowed down to a few hundred times a minute.<br /><br />A friend was visiting from North Carolina, staying in Kerrville a few days, so I got away from there later than I normally would have... I almost never drive at night.&nbsp; I was going about 55 on State pavement when I saw a dim blur in the oncoming lane, touched the&nbsp;brakes, but before I was pressing them it resolved itself as a full grown buck white tail, frightened, darting into my lane, then turning 180 starting to move back into the other lane.&nbsp; Changing his mind again.<br /><br />Completely unpredictable.&nbsp; I stood the RV on it's nose, dodging, almost laying it on its side trying to miss the deer, but we met, him hitting in a sideswipe against the coach,&nbsp;going airborn across the lane away from me.&nbsp; Luckily,&nbsp;I couldn't find any damage on the RV, but it qualifies as a miracle.&nbsp; If he'd hit a foot-or-so further right that RV might still be lying out there on its side&nbsp;in the grader ditch.<br /><br />Reminded me of a time I totalled a&nbsp;New Mexico State vehicle when I hit an elk on the highway near Datil in 1992, 1993.<br /><br />Everything in the RV came loose and fell from hell-to-breakfast inside during the deer episode, a lot of it coming forward into the cab, some of it whacking me on the head, cans of cat food rolling around underfoot between the footfeet, every cabinet door open.<br /><br />Seems to me there are a number of obvious issues here might be worth some discussion, including emergency maneuvering of a top-heavy, clumsy vehicle, securing belongings so's they aren't vulnerable to emergency stops, maybe cargo nets as an alternative to cabinets, ways to fortify cabinet doors&nbsp;against opening at such times.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br />

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<strong>Glad you are okay.&nbsp;Good point about all the projectiles in a vehicle. I'm guilty of leaving things that could&nbsp;endanger me. I have a toolbox, a couple of saws and so forth unsecured in my 4Runner. </strong><br /><strong>I had best learn from you and secure those items.</strong><br /><strong>&nbsp;Were you able to pick up your venison?</strong><br /><strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">Dragonfly</span></strong>

 

[RetiredNomad]

.......speaking of loose projectiles, nothing is more unnerving than stepping on the brake pedal only to discover it won't depress....due to an object wedged under it, in my case, one of my dogs' toys rolled there. A few moments of "off roading" with heart in throat equals a circumstance that won't ever be repeated. A flying "projectile" to the back of the head could mess with your state of independence.....
......safe travels.......

 

[rvwandering]

Glad you and the Toyota made it through okay! We've been through a few minor incidents ( including getting hit from behind several times) and because of the way things flew around the motorhome we keep most of our heavy stuff , canned goods , pots and pans ,etc in the low cupboards.Our top cupboards hold mostly clothing and things like cereal and bread.<br /><br />&nbsp;The closest we came to laying a RV on it's side was along a little country road. Two kids were playing in their yard. Their little kitten ran out in front of the RV and only by abruptly swerving did Tony managed to not hit it. It felt like two of the wheels left the ground. I'm so glad that we didn't hit the kitten but no more swerving around squirrels and other small animals for us. Just for the record we haven't hit any little animals. <br /><br />&nbsp;I'm not sure if they work but we install deer whistles on our vehicles. Deer seem to stop and look at us instead of jumping in front of us.

 

[sl1966]

yeah but hey, free venison!!!<br /><br />

 

[yesican]

I've had two deer hits 20 years apart in small very similar cars both of which I had for only six months at the time of the incident.&nbsp; Both happened on back roads of Wisconsin in the fall&nbsp;where there were no shoulders&nbsp;and&nbsp;where the field growth came right up to the road (first one was reeds and the other was corn). Both deer ran into the left fender, then swung around and pooped on my mirror, the first one swung around again and smashed the back fender while the 2nd one flung up over the back of the car. Both happened in split seconds and both shook me up.&nbsp; Both tasted good!<br /><br />As far as deer whistles...there were 2 on the second car until the deer committed suicide.&nbsp; Then there was only one.&nbsp; The other one was left somewhere on that road for archeologists to dig up in the future.<br /><br />I've had several near misses with moose here in Alaska..this is the worst time of year as the snow makes them forage on the sides of the road.&nbsp; I've known several people who've hit them.&nbsp;Most have permanent injuries, some are dead.&nbsp; Sometimes those 4 legged foragers can be as deadly as the 4 legged carnivores here in Alaska!&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm glad you're OK Joseph.<br /><br /> As far as projectiles...what comes to mind is the pencil that went over my husband's head when we hit an air pocket in the Citabria and immediately&nbsp;dropped 100ft.&nbsp; The pencil that was on the dash of the plane moved in slow motion&nbsp;over his head and&nbsp;gently onto my lap...it was surreal!&nbsp; After that...anything with a point was kept secured!&nbsp;<br /><br />Rae

 

[SirJoey]

Glad to hear there was no apparent damage to your home, but more importantly, to YOU, Jack!

Here in SC, we're absolutely inundated with deer. I can't count the number of times I've looked out at night & seen them grazing in my yard, sometimes as many as 8 at a time! I personally know lots of people who've hit them while driving at night. Although I've had a couple of close calls myself, I've been blessed to never hit one (so far) in the 10 years I've lived here, but I don't do much nighttime driving, either.

Of course, we have so many deer here, there's a fairly high danger of hitting one during the day as well, especially on these back roads in the boonies where I live. I've seen them crossing in front of me in broad daylight, at all hours of the day! 8-O

 

[josephusminimus]

By daylight the damage was more obvious... left side of the front bumper was pushed back and had a lot of hair on it... had to replace some turn signal and running light bulbs and glue the turn signal back into place in the hole in the bumper.&nbsp; Otherwise all's okay.<br /><br /><br />dragonflyinthesky:&nbsp;

No.&nbsp; In Texas a person isn't allowed to harvest his roadkill venison.&nbsp; I suppose they don't want to encourage people hitting them deliberately.&nbsp; This one was still in the ditch an hour ago, still have a ten-point rack.&nbsp; I'm betting the rack will vanish within a couple of days.&nbsp; Some hunter will want the bragging rights, most likely.<br /><br />

<br /><br />As for the rest of you, thanks and best wishes.<br /><br />

 

[joey]

I'm glad you are ok Joseph.

 

[katelyn]

wow, that's scary, glad u r ok.&nbsp; Lots of deer here in MI and almost crashed into a full herd (are a group of deer a herd? idk) that was standing in the road, all I could do was hit the brakes. and no they didn't move until I honked my horn!&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />The only advice I have to give as to hitting deer/animals is don't swerve only stop the best you can. it's just what a cop told me before.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" />

 

[josephusminimus]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Cargo nets</strong> </span>are going to enter my life.&nbsp; Not the sort sold to wealthy camping-types, but used fish nets.&nbsp; I'm finding used fish nets are sold, relatively small mesh, thick cords, as decoration here-and-there online, including EBay.<br /><br />Everywhere they don't get in the way, festooned across the coach, fishnet/cargo nets are going to be carrying a lot of the types of items difficult to secure, needed for frequent access.<br /><br />I shopped around in town for various methods of holding the <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">cabinet doors</span></strong>, weakened by decades of metal fatigue on the springs, closed.&nbsp; Considered screen-door hooks and eyes, all manner of commercially available products, and mainly the issue is expense.&nbsp; The prices on hardware of all sorts has climbed while I wasn't looking, and I need a dozen of something, more-or-less.<br /><br />So I've decided to design and manufacture something to do the job using materials I have readily available around here.<br /><br />I've also put in more shelves using old refrigerator shelves I've collected over the years and used various other ways.&nbsp; This coach never had as many shelves as I saw myself needing, and refrigerator shelves have the decided advantage of leaving what's stored in them visible, resistant to sliding around, and allowing air to anything might be better served that way instead of cooped up in a closed cabinet.<br /><br />An advantage refrigerator shelving shares with cargo nets.<br /><br />

 

[offroad]

Fasteners for nets - how about cable ties?&nbsp; They can do some interesting things.<br /><br />Deer dodging - am thinking in theory you should keep driving straight as hell, do not dodge it, as deer will be compensating with its brain to jump in front of you.<br /><br />Dead deer harvest - have read stories that in some states you can not keep it.&nbsp; Would like to learn more.

 

[josephusminimus]

Fasterners for nets - how about cable ties?&nbsp; They can do some interesting things.<br /><br />Deer dodging - am thinking in theory you should keep driving straight as hell, do not dodge it, as deer will be compensating with its brain to jump in front of you.<br /><br />Dead deer harvest - have read stories that in some states you can not keep it.&nbsp; Would like to learn more.

<br /><br />I'm using a telescoping clothes-rod over the opening to the overhead and a thrift-store commercial cargo net held up by shower-curtain rings as my initial try, see how it works.&nbsp; Carabiner keychains are also a big item for me, hanging flashlights and other easy access items.<br /><br />But you're right... cable ties are a contender for a lot of jobs might need doing as experience demands modifications.<br /><br />As for the roadkill deer, a person would probably have to be fairly determined to pull over and dress out a deer under those circumstances.&nbsp; But it would be interesting to know whether any state allows it.<br /><br />

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

This quote comes from the ODNR (Ohio) website.&nbsp;<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">If you are one of the unlucky ones to hit a deer this fall, be sure and report the accident within 24 hours to local law enforcement officials or the Ohio State Highway Patrol. And, since you&rsquo;ll most likely have to pay an auto insurance deductible, consider making lemonade out of lemons by claiming the deer meat for you and your family.</span><br /><br />I had an officer help me to load a fresh kill into my truck once. I didn't hit it myself. My father and I dressed it out in his garage.</p>

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Glad you were ok.&nbsp; Deer are everywhere here.&nbsp; Sometimes you see them on the side of the road, watching, waiting for the chance to strike <img src="/images/boards/smilies/sneaky.gif" />

 

[josephusminimus]

Glad you were ok.&nbsp; Deer are everywhere here.&nbsp; Sometimes you see them on the side of the road, watching, waiting for the chance to strike <img src="/images/boards/smilies/sneaky.gif" />

<br /><br />In 1974 when the price of beef went sky-high I spent a couple of years driving back roads nights armed with a .22 rifle and a flashlight, popping them in self-defense when they attacked.&nbsp; <br /><br />An old cedar chopper who'd been doing it all his life taught me ten rules to follow which he said, if followed, the person doing it would never get caught and arrested.&nbsp; It worked for me and I killed enough deer and ate venison during those two years so's beef never tasted right again.&nbsp; No flavor to the meat.<br /><br />I was supplying meat for everyone I knew, all of whom were as dirt-poor as my wife and I were at the time.&nbsp; Mostly students at University of Texas.<br /><br />About the time the price of beef dropped to something reasonable I found I was no longer interested in shooting anymore deer, anyway.&nbsp; I've never deliberately killed an uninjured one since.<br /><br />This one was most likely trying to get me back for offing some ancestor of his I killed back in 1974-75.&nbsp;

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

I have only had two close encounters with deer, one I am sure died later as I know I hit it's leg, the other was just super lucky and only wind passed between us, but I have had issues with my stuff flying all over da place after a sudden stop or a hard turn. so for this I offer, all my cabinets have velcro buttons on them, it makes them hard to open at first but you get used to it and they hide up nicely, a pack of 16 cost 6-7 bucks at walmart. inside the draws (if they are draws, that's all I have btw) are fitted wine or liquor inserts to hold my cans in place, I have ones that fit tuna/or short pet cans and some that fit soup or taller type cans....my stove is now anchored to the side wall of the van through it's handles, using&nbsp;bungees, so If I want I can remove it to cook out doors. My toilet if free standing but has never tipped, and is encased in a wooden box. My pillows and sleeping bags often fall victim to the dogs, so them staying put is never a sure thing. My tool box is snug behind my drivers seat, and my emergency charger fits under my drivers seat. I have forgotten something on my counter a time or to, which causes my mouth to act like it has turrets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[josephusminimus]

I have only had two close encounters with deer, one I am sure died later as I know I hit it's leg, the other was just super lucky and only wind passed between us, but I have had issues with my stuff flying all over da place after a sudden stop or a hard turn. so for this I offer, all my cabinets have velcro buttons on them, it makes them hard to open at first but you get used to it and they hide up nicely, a pack of 16 cost 6-7 bucks at walmart. inside the draws (if they are draws, that's all I have btw) are fitted wine or liquor inserts to hold my cans in place, I have ones that fit tuna/or short pet cans and some that fit soup or taller type cans....my stove is now anchored to the side wall of the van through it's handles, using&nbsp;bungees, so If I want I can remove it to cook out doors. My toilet if free standing but has never tipped, and is encased in a wooden box. My pillows and sleeping bags often fall victim to the dogs, so them staying put is never a sure thing. My tool box is snug behind my drivers seat, and my emergency charger fits under my drivers seat. I have forgotten something on my counter a time or to, which causes my mouth to act like it has turrets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<br /><br />Nice post, helpful.&nbsp; I'm trying to picture in my mind the velcro buttons you're describing, though.&nbsp; Do they have a screw or nail through them keeping them in place?<br /><br />Thanks.

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

in &nbsp;the craft section, they are sticky backed, they are less than an inch long and slightly 1/2 wide oblong in shape, but there are circular ones, at other shops like michael's, or joanns fabrics (crafty stores), or they have velcro tape too that you cut to size.<br /><br />google velcro dots buttons self stick, but they do sell them without the sticky back.<br /><br />http://www.industrialwebbing.com/Velcoin_Fasteners.html?gclid=COehyOC407MCFYuZ4AodDRMAWg<br /><br />http://www.buyhookandloop.com/products/dots?gclid=CIi1nfq407MCFQSg4AodYDEAJw

 

[josephusminimus]

in &nbsp;the craft section, they are sticky backed, they are less than an inch long and slightly 1/2 wide oblong in shape, but there are circular ones, at other shops like michael's, or joanns fabrics (crafty stores), or they have velcro tape too that you cut to size.<br /><br />google velcro dots buttons self stick, but they do sell them without the sticky back.<br /><br />http://www.industrialwebbing.com/Velcoin_Fasteners.html?gclid=COehyOC407MCFYuZ4AodDRMAWg<br /><br />http://www.buyhookandloop.com/products/dots?gclid=CIi1nfq407MCFQSg4AodYDEAJw

<br /><br />Thank you.&nbsp; I'll pick up some of those next time I'm in town and give them a try.&nbsp; You might have saved me a lot of head scratching and muttering in a trial-and-error crusade by telling me about these.