OK, I confess to delusions of invincibility, they kind of go hand in hand with caregiving and ‘single parenting’. That unforeseen events only happen to other people, is another popular self-deception.
Simply driving home by myself one evening a year ago my eyes were rudely opened when a kamikaze bambi leapt onto the front of my Ford Aerostar van.
Driving with cruise control set at 60 MPH my van never slowed or swerved even though the collision with a 200 lb buck left the front of the vehicle in tatters. As one tractor trailer was passing me on the left and another on my rear bumper, swerving or braking would have been catastrophic. Sitting high inside the van I was protected without a scratch or bump.
My traditional vigilance for wildlife when driving was toward the fields and farms on the side of the road to my right. This suicidal bambi bounded from the median strip or ol’ Scotty is losing his touch with the Star Trek transporter. Bambi just suddenly materialized in mid leap in front of my van.
Arriving home and parking the van side by side with our Taurus station wagon I couldn’t help but notice that the point of impact would have been right through the driver’s side windshield had I been driving the Taurus.
Auto insurance statistics claim that between October and December, 1.5 million vehicles collide with deer every year, resulting in 150 motorists’ deaths, more than 10,000 injuries, and $1.1 billion in vehicle damages.
Those numbers above do not include deaths, injuries, and costs when drivers swerve or slam on brakes to 'avoid' a deer and cause multiple vehicle accidents or run off the road or into a tree.
BE CAREFUL out there this time of year. kamikaze bambi attacks do not just happen to “other” people.
It’s more than Halloween scary to ponder the “what if’s”. Yet, in reality, this was a blessing (for us, not bambi). Our auto insurance carrier “totaled” the Aerostar rather than repair, which in turn precipitated the purchase of our wheelchair accessible van. ------- No matter how much or how well we try to control life, it’s awe-inspiring how random unforeseen events introduce rippling change.
Yep, the random is always out there waiting to pounce on us at the most unexpected and usually inopportune time. :-)
ReplyDeleteDeb
,,,,haven't seen any deer yet, but mother's pastor totaled two vehicles with deer hits last year. Thanks for the reminder to keep my eyes open for bambi's buddies.
ReplyDeleteI have hit a deer before, sucks...Bam(Bambi)
ReplyDeletethose deer do alot of damage, hope you have a good week
ReplyDeleteDeb
I think of that every morning I'm driving to school. At 6 a.m. it's very dark, and you are right, the deer are out. I come home and it is usually dark, the same problem. I've been fortunate so far, but my husband has hit two deer. Many of my friends have hit deer, on the same road I drive every day. I'm probably more likely to hit a deer than have any other kind of accident on these country roads. So I compensate by driving 45 mph (which is the posted speed limit), and this allows me to see them when they are attempting to cross the road. But the ones that materialize mid air... I doubt even 45 mph is going to help me! Think the airbag will protect me from wildly kicking legs of a window-trapped buck? I doubt it. Yep, it worries me. Glad you were driving the van at the time. Otherwise, we might not be reading your blog today. Take care! Bea
ReplyDeleteYep, they're out... I usually see more than my share starting about this time of year. And sometimes in my own yard. Mike (the dog, not the friend) will probably be chasing them away this year. He is little, but he isn't afraid of anything! There are creatures he doesn't like...people are his friends. He'd probably show you where the spare key is! Happy Deer Avoidance this year!
ReplyDeleteJackie
Very scarey, you're a good driver, I think I would have done the wrong thing. It's amazing how events conspire to bring about other things. I'm very glad Patti wasn't with you, very sorry for the bambi but gad it was just the car that got ill. Rache
ReplyDeleteanimals in the roads scare me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete