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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People running over birds in their cars

149 replies

Magicpaintbrush · 23/06/2021 15:11

AIBU that for the sake of a 10 second delay that impatient arsehole drivers could just wait for birds who happen to be walking about in the road to actually fly out of the way rather than driving straight over them? Birds don't understand what cars are, sometimes it takes a moment for the penny to drop that there is danger, especially pigeons who are a bit dim. Yes it's annoying, but for the sake of a few seconds or just hooting your horn why run the poor things over? I keep seeing this happen, and there is a squashed pigeon in the road right next to where I'm parked that wasn't there this morning. It's totally avoidable.

OP posts:
catpyjamas · 23/06/2021 17:51

I'm sure people aren't zooming past and deliberately ploughing through an animal.

Yes. Yes they do. Not all people but some definitely do it deliberately.

godmum56 Wed 23-Jun-21 17:05:57 have you ever actuallty seen this happen and the bird get squished deliberately?

Yes. More than once.

Crankley · 23/06/2021 17:55

I once stopped for a pheasant to leisurely walk across the road. It got half way and changed it's mind and walked back again then after a slight hesitation, set off again, only to turn round half way across. By this point I was getting a tad irritated but could never knowingly run one over. so I got out of the car and shooed him into a field so I could continue my journey.

Original poster
Magicpaintbrush · 23/06/2021 18:05

"Because if I slow down and they don't get out of the way I then have to decide whether to come to a total stop (massively risky and unnecessary) or re-accelerate which means actually trying to run them over!"

Sorry, and I am genuinely asking not being goady, but if you were in a super quiet area and were absolutely certain beyond all possible doubt that there were no other cars or indeed any pedestrians anywhere at all nearby, why would it be massively risky to gently come to a gradual stop - at which point if the birds didn't fly off you could just beep your horn, or indeed do that before you reached them to avoid having to stop at all? I wouldn't advocate doing this on a busy road, or a motorway (God forbid), or a twisty country lane, or indeed any stretch of road where it was in any way a risk.

In a quiet area where the traffic is minimal and slow moving anyway, and having properly checked on all sides that there is no risk, I don't consider it to be dangerous to slow down for a few seconds to avoid needlessly killing something. In a busy area with lots of traffic however I wouldn't do that as it wouldn't be safe. I would also stop to let someone cross the road IF it was safe to do so, and you judge each individual situation on what is happening at the time. I wouldn't say every scenario is safe to stop, nor would I say that no scenarios are safe to stop, it very much depends. I judge each situation as I come upon it. Doesn't everyone?

OP posts:
Thelm · 23/06/2021 18:06

I have to speak up in support of the OP. I regularly see people swerve to hit pheasants etc when they could have avoided them and I always hope that they damage their cars. Some people are just sick.

PurpleyBlue · 23/06/2021 18:08

I was told if I did an emergency stop for a bird I would fail my test

PurpleyBlue · 23/06/2021 18:08

@Thelm

I have to speak up in support of the OP. I regularly see people swerve to hit pheasants etc when they could have avoided them and I always hope that they damage their cars. Some people are just sick.
Well deliberately aiming for them is silly
Posieandpip · 23/06/2021 18:09

I have always driven and never noticed a particularly large amount of squished birds, nor have I ever squished one. But still, i'd rather squish 100 pigeons than risk causing an accident where a person got hurt. No question.

LubaLuca · 23/06/2021 18:11

I've hit a couple of pheasants that just darted out in front of me. I've also found a bat wedged under my bonnet, and a starling stuck in the grille.

I've never knowingly or deliberately hit a creature just so I could maintain speed, and I don't think anyone does - you can't override the instinct to brake when something is in your path. It's always been either totally unavoidable or completely unknowing.

Original poster
Magicpaintbrush · 23/06/2021 18:14

I just want to stress that I haven't seen anybody deliberately swerving to hit a bird or animal on purpose, it's just that people not slowing down even a fraction to give the creatures time to get out of the way when I can see clearly that the situation is such that it would have been safe to reduce their acceleration a little - they choose not to though, and expect the birds to fly off in time or they don't care if they hit them.

And I don't think every single scenario dictates that it's dangerous to stop - sometimes it isn't. An emergency stop/sharp braking is maybe not such a good idea, and certainly not if there's another vehicle behind you. But gentle braking or coming off the gas a bit if the road is quiet - why wouldn't you?

OP posts:
D0D0 · 23/06/2021 18:23

Some people are being disingenuous on this thread.

No, you don’t brake hard or swerve when in fast moving traffic or there are oncoming vehicles.

Drivers should know at all times what - if anything - is behind/coming towards them and how close following vehicles are.

They should therefore know whether they can safely stop or move onto the opposite side of the road when they see an animal. They shouldn’t see a bird, then need to check.

But people don’t know what’s behind them because they aren’t looking often enough.

And that’s why they’re saying ‘you shouldn’t stop… just in case’

lilyofthewasteland · 23/06/2021 18:28

I don't consider it to be dangerous to slow down for a few seconds to avoid needlessly killing something

What about insects? Do you drive so as to avoid squishing them all over your car too?

They're living creatures that are killed when our cars hit them.

DappledThings · 23/06/2021 18:33

if you were in a super quiet area and were absolutely certain beyond all possible doubt that there were no other cars or indeed any pedestrians anywhere at all nearby
You can't ever be certain beyond all possible doubt of this.

And the longer you are crawling along or totally stopped in the middle of the road the more of a danger you pose.

Poorkitty · 23/06/2021 18:33

I've slowed down for plenty of birds when it has been safe to do so, also for one of my neighbor's cats who didnt give a shit and just stood in the middle of the road, then walked ever so slowly back onto the path.. but these times I've been driving quite slowly anyway and theres been no cars behind me so it's been safe to do so.. I wouldnt be swerving into oncoming traffic or ditches to save a bird or any other animal, I'd shout and toot my horn if I had time but if it happened to be there, well, wrong place wrong time 🤷‍♀️

In fact the only birds I've ever hit with my car have been birds that have flown into my car when I'm driving along, once when doing 70 on a dual carriage way, I think it was a spuggy and once a black bird, I was upset about both but it wasnt intentional.

Poorkitty · 23/06/2021 18:38

Now we're on the subject because I've always wondered this.. why do pheasants have a death wish?
They're always darting around at the side of roads looking confused as fuck, you'd think they would have learned a little road sense by now.. seems they really like roads it's so weird 🤣

Shade17 · 23/06/2021 18:41

Sometimes it is unavoidable BUT what I keep seeing around here is people speeding up and swerving TOWARDS the birds or squirrel or deer at the side of the road. That is horrible to watch someone intentionally try to kill.

I can understand someone of that mindset swerving towards birds or squirrels but you’d have to be crazy to deliberately try and hit something the size of a deer! I suppose they must be a bit fucked up anyway but even so!

Mintjulia · 23/06/2021 18:52

I live rurally and do my best to avoid wildlife but there are limits.

Sometimes things (especially pheasants) run out and the choice is to swerve and risk hitting something harder - tree, another car - or stay on line. Police advice is don't swerve, don't break.

Hitting birds on purpose (do people really do that?) is stupid because they can crack lights and bumpers so can be costly.

And sometimes there is just no choice, no blame. I had a roe deer land on the bonnet after it jumped a hedge, and wrote off my car. I didn't even see it coming.

An0n0n0n · 23/06/2021 18:53

I dont get the dangerous to other road users point? Surely drivers should be leaving enough space not to drive into someone doing an emergency stop??

An0n0n0n · 23/06/2021 18:54

@Poorkitty because pheasants are reared in captivity and released into the wild for shooting.

AnUnoriginalUsername · 23/06/2021 18:56

I agree with you. Yes it's not always possible. But it's not always unavoidable either, but then I've seen people swerve to try to hit them and cats. I hit a pigeon once and I was gutted. It flew down from a tree right into my car, literally didn't have a second to react.

flippertygibbit · 23/06/2021 18:57

Been driving over 25 years, never hit an animal in my car yet, nor have I had to swerve or bang the breaks on, ease off the accelerator a little and beep the horn, that's all it needs.

flippertygibbit · 23/06/2021 18:58

@Shade17

Sometimes it is unavoidable BUT what I keep seeing around here is people speeding up and swerving TOWARDS the birds or squirrel or deer at the side of the road. That is horrible to watch someone intentionally try to kill.

I can understand someone of that mindset swerving towards birds or squirrels but you’d have to be crazy to deliberately try and hit something the size of a deer! I suppose they must be a bit fucked up anyway but even so!

Why can you understand someone swerving to hit a bird or a squirrel? Anyone who tries to injure animals is totally fucked up.
cupsofcoffee · 23/06/2021 18:58

@An0n0n0n

I dont get the dangerous to other road users point? Surely drivers should be leaving enough space not to drive into someone doing an emergency stop??
Because if you've stopped for a pheasant and someone comes round the corner behind you, they may not have time to stop before they plough into the back of you.

It's generally not advisable to stop in the carriageway unless you absolutely have to.

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 23/06/2021 18:59

YABU

my teacher said that if it's a choice between hitting an animal or putting yourself or others in danger you should hit the animal.

nobody sets out to murder squirrels, pigeons etc while driving. but it happens, regrettably.

Shade17 · 23/06/2021 19:03

Why can you understand someone swerving to hit a bird or a squirrel? Anyone who tries to injure animals is totally fucked up.

Not what I said. I can understand someone who thinks like that wanting to run over squirrels but not something the size of a deer. Of course they’re fucked up, as I said.

sanityisamyth · 23/06/2021 19:07

I've seen an entire duck family deliberately driven at by some yob in his boy racer once. Was absolutely harrowing to watch. Some people are just scum.