What happens when a 9000 and a deer meet in the road?

[klarking1075]

It's been one of those days - stressed from the word go... Went to IKEA with the kids, but Smaland was full. Got stuck in traffic on the way back because of road works on the M8. Took me 1 hour 30 minutes to do a trip I can normally do in 30 minutes.

I had arranged to give a friend a lift, so was making time, shall we say, to pick him up. On a heavily wooded single track road, a deer decides to jump out in front of the car. As I'm running a little late, I was going faster than normal (30 instead of usual 20), so I had no way of avoiding said deer. The front near side corner hit the deer, I was stll doing about 25 at time of impact, deer goes flying, and driver starts swearing. Couldn't see hee haw, so carry on to destination (about a mile away), and get out to inspect the damage.

Couldn't believe it, the damage seems to be very limited - the NS headlight has a slight push back (2-3mm) and the NS indicator has minor cracking.

Even better, on the way back down the road we see the deer, up on it's feet, though it's unable to use one leg. We stopped to check it (friend works on farm nearby), and are surprised to find that it hasn't even broken it's leg. it'll be sore for a while, but should be OK.

I knew Saabs were strong, but to hit a deer at 25mph and come off with limited damage is incredible. But for the deer to survive, and without major injuries seems to good to be true.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Kenneth

[nutcase]

I was expecting to read of a write-off. Sounds like a lucky escape for all!

[i want an aero]

i hit 1 with my transit van, bugger just got up and bolted away. tough little buggers

[klarking1075]

Originally Posted by i want an aero

i hit 1 with my transit van, bugger just got up and bolted away. tough little buggers

What speed were you doing at impact, and what damage did it do to the tranny van?

Kenneth

[i want an aero]

tbh it was standing in the midle of the road, i saw it and was braking down from 50mph. no damage to the front of the van, if it was my renault it would have ripped the plastic front out

[006qees]

When I was a kid my Dad hit a deer in his Hillman Minx - the deer ran off but the Minx never drove again; major panel damage to the front, broken lights, broken radiator - insurance wrote it off.

[vector220]

Originally Posted by klarking1075

What speed were you doing at impact, and what damage did it do to the tranny van?

Kenneth

Well, a deer isn't a problem. Around here we watch out for the moose. This is what happends when a Ford sierra hits a moose. Very few cars can handle a moose impact!

[Mag-X]

The previous owner of my C900 (my step-mom) hit a large dog at 70 mph. It broke a headlight and fog light, and tore off a bit of trim.

[Heather]

Have only hit a pheasant, mid flight. Left skidders up the windscreen then flew away.

Ouch at the moose impact.

[GearHead]

Originally Posted by vector220

Well, a deer isn't a problem. Around here we watch out for the moose. This is what happends when a Ford sierra hits a moose. Very few cars can handle a moose impact!

doesnt saab test their cars for moose crashes?

[Matt88S]

Someone was driving my Chev Blazer, a newer style S10 type, when a German Shepard ambushed it. Big ol dog, must have weighed 70-80lbs. Jumped right out in front of the Blazer and came out the back doing cartwheels. Then jumped up and limped away under its own power. All this at 45-50mph.

Damage to the Blazer? Zip. Nada. Nothing.

I've always thought it was overbuilt, it has full size 235/75/15 truck tires on it and it sits way to high, I've never liked that but I guess it has its advantages.

That was one lucky dog, provided of course that it actually lived, it looked alright though. If it had been hit by a car it would have most certainly been killed and the car smashed up pretty good.

And yes the owner of the dog was knew it had been hit, it wasn't left there to die.

[Mattlach]

Originally Posted by GearHead

doesnt saab test their cars for moose crashes?

hehe They can do all the testing they want...


When you clip the legs out from under a 1200lb animal so they fall on your roof, unless you have a strong rollcage...

If I remember correctly, when I lived in Sweden, moose collisions were the #1 cause of traffic deaths...


They are pretty damned big animals...



I want one of these swedish moose warning roadsigns

[ubermich]

Moose and vehicle collisions are just about tied in Sweden, and yes Saab does give every design the "moose test".

I almost hit two dogs today @ 45mph. They came from the left, across three lanes narrowly missing the two vehicles next to me (which prevented me from seeing the dogs) and jumped out in front of me about 15-20 yards ahead. I hit the brakes (hooray for 4-wheel disk!) and the horn (I really need a better horn, this thing SUCKS) and they got out of the lane just in time. Two 60 lb dogs really would've put a damper on my day.

[Rushtrack]

I was going 75mph (10 over) in my GM 900 and a deer jumped out of the woods at the exact instant i was passing...clipped my sideview mirror mid jump and fliped up behind my car into the grill of a tractor trailer......



scratch on the drivers side door...fur on the side view mirror. "shudder"