People running over birds in their cars

[Magicpaintbrush]

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.

I had a pigeon fly in front of my car when I was driving down a duel carriageway. I hit it, it was awful. I felt terrible, never hit anything before. Feathers went everywhere!

YANBU. I live by the sea and this time of year we have lots of baby seagulls that are leaving the nests and end up wandering in the road. A lot of people here don't like seagulls, so they deliberately run them over. Bastards.

Not all pheasants are bred and released obviously, there’s a few wild ones left.

Pigeons are vermin. No tears being shed here.

Indeed. I’ve hit a couple over the years and not lost any sleep over it but there’s a difference between that and deliberately aiming for them.

@entropynow

Pigeons are vermin. No tears being shed here.

Nice attitude NOT. Pigeons are living creatures that have as much right to be here as you do

ynsey91

entropynow

“Nice attitude NOT. Pigeons are living creatures that have as much right to be here as you do“

Indeed. Pigeons aren’t destroying the planet. That would be humans.

I had a pigeon fly straight into the windscreen once. We were going along a nice quiet straight country road at about 20mph because I knew my turning was somewhere but couldn't see where (no other traffic around) when this pigeon flew so hard into the windscreen it left an outline behind. I can only conclude the pigeon needed glasses.

@Roussette

Worst are Muntjacs (a type of young deer)

I know three people who have had extensive damage done to their cars by muntjacs jumping out of the hedge in front of them. Now that is a horrible thing to happen because they end up killed and the damage and shock is awful.
They cause 42,000 accidents a year

Worldwide, not 42k in the UK.

I had a pigeon sit in the middle of the road the other day. Fortunately it was a 20 limit road and I had nobody behind me so I could slow right down until it got the message and flew off.

But if you are on a 60 limit road and have someone up your bottom, the bird is going to get run over, sorry.

@MargaretThursday

I had a pigeon fly straight into the windscreen once. We were going along a nice quiet straight country road at about 20mph because I knew my turning was somewhere but couldn't see where (no other traffic around) when this pigeon flew so hard into the windscreen it left an outline behind. I can only conclude the pigeon needed glasses.

They constantly fly into our bedroom windows, and with some force. Usually they survive, though. But as you say they leave an outline. Usually a day or two after we've had the windows cleaned.

I hit a badger the other day, which wasnt nice. I didnt kill it outright so had to finish off with a car jack.

I hit a blackbird today - not sure if it survived as I couldn't stop, but it was flying towards the hedgerow, then for some unknown reason, decided to turn around and fly straight into the side of my car

Only time I've (consciously) run over a bird is when a car in front of me ran one over and the poor thing was very injured - flailing around - so I put it out of its misery.

One of the worst things I saw was a lorry’s tyre flatten a beautiful bird.

However the lorry driver probably never saw the bird or was even aware he did it. And I’m hoping the death was instantaneous for the bird. Won’t forget though, felt so bad.

I'm with you, @Magicpaintbrush, and I know exactly what you mean. I live where there are loads of pheasants - so if I see them about, I slow down, because I just know they will try to commit suicide under my wheels. I also slow down when I see pigeons in the road to give them a chance to fly away.

But I see plenty of people who don't bother and just carry on as fast as ever. It would not hurt them to slow down. Same with sheep in the road even - some utter bastards insist on driving at 60 even then.

And you are meant ot slow down for potential hazards, which is what animals are when they are already in the road.

I live in a rural area. I see dead animals on a daily basis on the roads.
I have hit a few myself.
I can assure you us country folk do care for wildlife, but it is not always possible or safe to avoid or swerve.
Most people would try to avoid hitting an animal, but it is often not possible.

A large pheasant flew into my car a couple of months ago, it was horrible I was upset about it. The slam it made was unreal. I couldn’t stop either and felt horrible about it for days

Yes. Definitely slam your brakes on or swerve if a bird flies up in front of you.

Have you even driven in the countryside?

There's no way that I would value a birds life more than my own, my passengers or other motorists. YABVU to even suggest such a ridiculous thing. Its not always completely avoidable whatsoever.

Just because there’s a flat pigeon on the road doesn’t mean someone has deliberately run it over. They can wander about where you can’t see them, they fly into your bloody windscreen, and sometimes (more pheasants here) the mad bastards run into the road I’m front of you. Just because it’s dead doesn’t mean it malicious

I once hit a pigeon that was bobbing around on the road. Thought it would move and I couldn’t safely avoid it but I felt so bad. There was a plume of feathers but when I drove back later I stopped the car and searched but couldn’t see any sign of it. I was hoping it was ok but tbh it probably limped off somewhere to die.
Instinct is to brake or swerve but I remember my driving instructor telling me never to do this. I wouldn’t deliberately hit a bird though.

I saw a duck who had been hurt on a motorway recently I couldn’t stop and just hopped it was put out of its misery soon it was very upsetting

I find pigeons know when to move they often are on the road and move just in time (this is in London)

My 3rd driving lesson had some birds in the road, my instructor told me not to brake for them - it was more dangerous braking than potentially hitting them. (They all flew off) that said I did an emergency stop yesterday fir some ducks walking across the road After checking nothing behind me

I was driving down very quiet country lanes very late at night and three times a large owl swooped down it’s wings hit the window screen I don’t think it was hurt after the second time I felt a bit scared it was hunting me