To think most people don't care about wildlife on country roads?

[BastardGoDarkly]

I know sometimes its completely unavoidable, but I've lived in the country for 9 years now, on very twisty, one car roads.

I've never hit anything, not once, so why are there so many casualties? Have I just been really lucky? (there's been many a close call) or do most people not care about pigeons/rabbits/pheasants?

Also I was doing about 35 in broad daylight so speed wasn't an issue.

I live in rural area - grass in middle of the road, no shops etc.
I've hit loads of pheasant (better than swerving into another car and they are very stupid, actively jumping in front of you).
I've hit two badgers both dented the car. They are hard to see running out of undergrowth at night. Made me feel physically sick first time because they make such a noise.
Never hit a deer but know plenty who have - again, it can write off your car. My son had to kill one he hit, which is nasty but kindest thing. I've been to several road kill parties so deers desth was not a complete waste. Most people I know would stop to help an injured or tangled deer.
Fox numbers are kept down by cars so avoids a cull.
Rabbits are rabbits. It happens but they'll breed plenty more.
Rats are fair game.

I don't know anyone who does it for pleasure but cars are fearsome weapons.

On a slightly related note I have crazy theory based on nothing more than my own daft ideas that many of the dead badgers I see weren't killed by a car but have been dumped there to make it look as though they were since it's illegal to kill 'em any other way.

I hit a deer once. It was dark and foggy and i had a car behind me. I felt so guilty that I cried when I got to work.

I have since managed to avoid the wildlife, despite pheasants being intent on using my car to kill themselves with. Its more luck of the draw then anything.

DH hit a rabbit once. It ran across the road, stopped and then turned and ran into the path of the car. Dh simply didn't have time to react.

I have almost had pheasants fly into my car, not much I could have done. Also hit a pigeon, I was doing 40, so hardly speeding - it fly right in front of me.

To those of you saying you've never hit anything you may well just not have been aware. If you side swipe a rabbit, or a mouse or vole or frog you won't feel it. Once or twice I've hit rabbits and it is a horrid feeling when you are aware of the car bumping over them but there really is nothing your can do. I also once had a seagull fly into my radiator and make a very large dent.

I've hit a few birds - possibly one pheasant. I was not impressed by the driver who swerved to avoid a pheasant the other day and caused DS to have to slam his breaks on to avoid a head on collision with the car. I was a passenger at the time.

I hit a rabbit once. It was dark, quiet. I braked to avoid it. It started to hop away from the road so I eased up on the brakes. Suddenly it leaps back into the road. Nothing I could do.
A bird once did a swoop under the car usually they appear the other side. This one hit the wheel on the inside edge.
I once stopped for a mouse in the road (i am too soft) only to watch an owl catch it!

I hit a squiral a few weeks ago. It was the first animal I have hit in 14 years. I cried :( it just ran straight in front of me on a motorway slip road. Obviously not a country road though!

My partner slowed right down for a pigeon the other day. All of a sudden, it flew at his car and died
Cracked the grill as well

yabu, did you win your driving license in the lottery?
never swerve for an animal smaller than knee height. it's too dangerous.
in most cases the animal will react quicker than you anyway.
for a deer/boar I would make a full stop if I can, because hitting it could kill me.

I'd say you've just been lucky. A pigeon flew into my windscreen on a dual carriageway, nothing I could do about it. I've seen a deer jump in front of the car ahead of me, poor driver was in a terrible state. I've had cats run right in front of my car but luckily haven't hit them (that I know of). I also nearly drove into a cow in broad daylight - went round a bend and it was standing in the road. I had to usher it back home.

It seems to be fairly common wisdom around here that badgers are sometimes placed in the road after being killed rather than being roadkill. I don't know if it's actually true though.

When I lived in the countryside I hit a few pheasants, they are unbelievably stupid. I had one stuck in the grill thing and my dad had to pull it out but by bit I was in a car that hit a deer that lept out in front of it. It came in through the windscreen and the driver and front seat passener were injured. I dont think anyone wohld hit uch a large animal if they could possible avoid it.

I live rurally and have never (knowingly) hit anything either.

I do worry about hitting badgers - those things are solid!

Rabbits that are in the middle of the road and not getting out of the way may be because they have myxomatosis. Kindest think is to kill them.

I always think that badgers have actually been shot & dumped.

I live rurally. Have killed rabbit & frog that I know of. Could be more.

Not too fussed tbh.

I've lived in the country for 7 years and until recently hadn't hit anything either. I've braked and swerved to avoid things on occasion and been told by passengers not to bother but I do tend to watch out very carefully as I've had two cats killed on the road and would hate to put another family through that.

A few weeks ago a wild rabbit ran out and straight under the wheel. I didn't have time to react. There was nothing I could've done as it was right in front of me. So it can happen without the driver being at fault.

You can kill yourself if you run over a deer! Or if one (or many) jump on your roof from higher ground.

I agree Eve the driving I've witnessed on our lane is often downright dangerous :( I think there needs to be more education regarding safe driving practice on rural roads.

poshme I always think the same 're badgers

I've run over a hedgehog once in the pitch dark on a country lane.

It's not that people don't care, it's that wildlife hasn't learned hte green cross code and sometimes hitting something is unavoidable. It would be irrational and dangerous to crawl along at 5mph just in case you come across a deer.

I grew up in a very very very rural (non U.K.) area. I was taught that under NO circumstance do you swerve or perform an emergency stop to try and avoid an animal. It can end very badly!

So as bad as it may be these things do happen.
Though to date I think I've only ever hit a rabbit and a bird.

I agree OP, thirty years in the country and never hit anything. Some people drive like utter twats on our country lanes.

I always think that badgers have actually been shot & dumped

Well, two farming friends openly admit to doing this. It upsets me.

I killed numerous pheasants, pigeons and rabbits.

A badger last year.

Would only swerve for a deer if the other side of the road was clear. It's bloody dangerous doing an emergency stop or swerving for a bird.

Soso, yes same advice here (rural)

Badgers are made out of reinforced concrete I think