Hit by a bull (almost)

peasant

Lomb,

Simple mathematics:

You hit deer with bull bar. Damage to car reduced by 50 % . Yippie !
5000 euro instead of 10000.

You hit pedestrian with bull bar. Injury to same increased by 100 %. Wheel chair bound and fully dependant on carer for the rest of his life instead of broken leg and arm. Cost to you and society: roundabout a million instead of a few thousand.

Not so yippie

likelihood of hitting deer in Ireland ...dunno ...1 : 1.000.000.000 ??
likelihood of hitting pedestrian ...dunno either ... but at least ten times more likely than deer.

alias no.9

lomb wrote:

speed has little to do with a deer running in front of u

true braking distance plays a part.

Places where deer are likely to roam onto the road are clearly marked by signposts. Deer roam at night time. Is it too much of a jump in logic to draw from my earlier point that slowing down at night time in areas where dear roam will reduce the risk of hitting a deer by a much greater factor than what a bullbar will protect your vehicle from the damage? I regularly pass deer while driving at night. I neither have nor feel the need for either a 4x4 or bullbars to protect me from this terrible menace.

lomb

alias no.9 wrote:

I neither have nor feel the need for either a 4x4 or bullbars to protect me from this terrible menace.

From above
"Across the state, drivers hit a deer almost 31,600 times in 2001, causing seven fatalities - including one in Warren County - and about $63.2 million in damage."

alias no.9

lomb wrote:

From above
"Across the state, drivers hit a deer almost 31,600 times in 2001, causing seven fatalities - including one in Warren County - and about $63.2 million in damage."

I'm talking about in Ireland where I encounter roaming deer on a much more frequent basis than most.

seamus

lomb wrote:

From above
"Across the state, drivers hit a deer almost 31,600 times in 2001, causing seven fatalities - including one in Warren County - and about $63.2 million in damage."

That's American, how in God's name can you tout American stats as being remotely valid here?

lomb

seamus wrote:

That's American, how in God's name can you tout American stats as being remotely valid here?

sorry, here are stats from the uk

"Did you know?

* that the toll of deer involved annually in traffic collisions in the UK is estimated to lie between 30,000 to 50,000
* such deer related RTAs result in several hundred human injuries and some human fatalities each year.
* six main species of deer live wild in Britain with a combined population of over 1 million head.
* deer of at least one species are believed to be present in nearly every 10 kilometre grid square of England and Wales as well as Scotland. "

seamus

Stats from the UK still don't apply. Aside from the differences in population, the roads are a very different story too.

Even to apply it at scale, it equates to 2,000-3,000 collisions with deer in Ireland, a handful of injuries, and less than one fatality per year. Not enough to justify fitting bullbars IMO.

lomb

seamus wrote:

Stats from the UK still don't apply.

lol, i would say they do and wouldnt be far off the mark tbh, but anyway u are right, ireland doesnt justify bull bars in urban areas(ie most of ireland lol)

but in rural wales on a dark night (which ive done alot) i can tell u me and my vw golf dont feel safe at all trawelling along at 60mph. ive had all manners of animals run at me, twice ive swerved and abs kicked in saving me and my new car.

seamus

http://www.nra.ie/PublicationsResources/DownloadableDocumentation/RoadSafety/d1736.PDF

Stats (page 20) show that there were 17 collisions with animals (not specifically deer) in the entire country in 2003. 17, with 17 injuries, no fatalities.

Are bullbars still a *must*?

lomb

seamus wrote:

Stats (page 20) show that there were 17 collisions with animals (not specifically deer) in the entire country in 2003. 17, with 17 injuries, no fatalities.

Are bullbars still a *must*?

id say theres a lot more and people dont tell their insurers or alternatively the insurers dont bother reporting the stats. anyway doesnt matter deer collisions are a common thing but not in ireland that is true hence there is no need for them in urban areas. however they should be fitted as detachable and should be fitted if u decide to trek thru wales on a dark night

seamus

To be fair, I'd have no problem with people having detachable bullbars and sticking them on before heading out in snow, fog or heavy rain at night, but having them there all the time "because I might on the off-chance hit a deer that'll do a lot of damage to my vehicle" is completely taking the piss.

lomb

seamus wrote:

but having them there all the time "because I might on the off-chance hit a deer that'll do a lot of damage to my vehicle" is completely taking the piss.

thats VERY true, u are dead right, that makes good sense, they should NOT b used in urban situations at all. they are dangerous to pedestrians that is a fact and there are no deer in the city anyway. they are only needed for particular journeys. anyway as u know most 4x4 s are used in the city, where really they arent needed. like anything else they are a tool and do a particular job well, and normal driving is not the job they do well.

unkel

30-6shooter wrote:

If your willie isn't big enough, get viagra ...not a bullbar

LOL