hybrids hitting deer more often than non-hybrids?

I once knew a man in Wisconsin that bought a brand-new red Ford pickup.

On his way to work in the morning, a buck came running out of the trees and broadsided him... destroyed the driver's door. He called the local law enforcement, got his police report, and then went to work.

On the way home that evening, a buck came running out of the trees, and nailed his passenger door.

His insurance man was pretty skeptical, too. He told me that he would never buy a red pickup again.

 

there is something about deer and the prius that makes me grin. i notice they don't run away.

i assume it's because of how quiet it is. think about it. deer have incredibly good hearing. i'm sure they can hear all the clicking, explosions, comprssion releases, not to mention rpm changes of standard cars while they shift gears.

then the prius comes along. it's quiet. the rpms are monitored and not threatening. it kinda hums along and knows when to shut up.. hehe..

deer like that in a car.. apparently.

 

Have had more than one close calls with Deer and Prius. Have lived in this area for 25 years and never had this until Prius. As a matter of fact 5 Deer were in field and I stopped to look and one actually started walking to the car got to about 10 feet and other car then scared it away. Am now thinking of taking up hunting again.

 

lol. reminds me of the time my friend and i snuck up on a baby bear. he didn't seem to car that the car snuck right up to him... untill the electric windows started to roll down. out of all things, the windows scares him the most. lol

 

No, it's not just the Prius:

I used to have an '85 Chevy Blazer SUV. I got broadsided by a huge buck on my passenger side. He left marks on the door, and took out my side mirror. Ran back into the woods with probably a slight headache.

Three months ago I slammed into a fawn (the size of a great dane) while on my way to work. It ran into the road, stopped when it saw me, I stood on my breaks as hard as I could (45MPH zone), by the time I hit the fawn I was probably about 25MPH. There was no chance to swerve because it's a deep ditch on my right and on-coming traffic on my left. I felt AWEFUL. Thankfully there was only minor damage to my bumper: slight tear in the underskirt below the lower grill, and the lower grill (made of 3 pieces) was pushed in but since it's several pieces it just punched in at the seams. Easily pulled back into place. For now I'm just leaving the torn lip since the car is black so it doesn't really show. The deer, after laying splattered on the road in total shock for several minutes finally got up and ran back into the woods. I'm so glad it lived!

 

I've had my 2005 Prius for a little over 3 years now, and we (my Prius and I) have never been attacked by a deer. (Eastern West Virginia).

But my wife -who drives a small Pontiac Vibe - has been assaulted twice by deer in the last couple of years. We're quickly becoming the favorites of the local body shop!

This observation isn't very scientific, since the sample is so small. But maybe it'll help in the cumulative.'

Kevin

 

The insurance data is probably the most reliable.

You also can't draw any conclusions without carefully studying statistics over a number of years.

Several important factors are at play here: 1) the deer population over the past few years; 2) there has been more residential development in rural areas, where the deer live; 3) a generation of younger drivers has been driving more in the evening when the deer are moving. These younger drivers are also more likely to post on the forum!

 

For over 12-years I drive back country 2-lane roads in North Eastern North Carolina for an hour to work, at 4am. Hit several deer with Saturn SL2, mostly unavoidable when 3-deer in road, or one on side of road that jumps out at last second, and then one that crossed road, only to turn back and dive bomb the headlights.

Same road, but now in Prius for over 2-yeas. See plenty of deer, but none doing the hairy-kairy suicide.

As to Deer Horns not working, I am not too sure they do not work. For years and years I used them, and hit deer with them. Body shop laughed at this question and offered to show me all their removed damaged bumpers that still had the deer horns on them.

But 5-years ago Walmart sold this double barrel set, 2-tubes to each one. I tried this and noticed cows, horses, dogs, during day seemed to react to the noise. Started using them, and have not hit deer since. I get close, and they seem to rare up and run off the other way. Have set on wife's Prius also (yes, have 2-hybrids). She'd hit deer also, till I put the double barrel ones on her car also. Walmart quit selling them, made by BELL. I searched internet, and only found one supplier, and cost was outrageous.

However, recently found them again at Target stores, for something like $8 or $9.00's. And, Yes, my observation is that the double barrel sets do work. You know you can hold these things out the car window when driving and hear the noise they make? Try it. Yet, here again, the double barrel ones are louder and make a double sounding noise, one high and one low pitch, sort of like the high and low Prius car horns double sound, only not that loud...just refering to 2-tone sound, is all.

And now that I've wrote this, I have jinkexd myself and will tare car all to H-E-double-L as soon as I go back to work. Ha Ha

 

I think the EMF attracts them, I hear deer store iron in their head.

 

You just have too many deer in your immediate area. Someone should start hunting and have lots of meat. Be very careful and try to slow down as much as you can on curves.