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Hit a bird while driving - upset

I am the type of girl who doesn't even kill spiders - I prohibit others from doing so and lift them outside.

However this morning on an NSL road I was driving to work and a bird was in front of me. Usually I encounter plenty of pheasants and swerve into the other lane where possible.

This morning there was traffic both sides of the road and it didn't fly away. I tried to swerve slightly to avoid it but hit it and killed it. I actually cried the rest of the way to work. Am I an awful person? Have you ever killed anything while driving?

I legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close to me.

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Original post by WildeAboutOscar
I am the type of girl who doesn't even kill spiders - I prohibit others from doing so and lift them outside.

However this morning on an NSL road I was driving to work and a bird was in front of me. Usually I encounter plenty of pheasants and swerve into the other lane where possible.

This morning there was traffic both sides of the road and it didn't fly away. I tried to swerve slightly to avoid it but hit it and killed it. I actually cried the rest of the way to work. Am I an awful person? Have you ever killed anything while driving?

I legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close to me.


So what if you end up hitting a bird? These things are bound to happen, a rarity, but still...

I would never end up swerving to avoid something if it would put me at a risk of colliding with another driver.

A slight swerve won't do harm, depending on the width of the road/lane but a bigger swerve? No chance.
(edited 10 years ago)
You should never swerve to avoid a bird, it puts yourself and other drivers at risk as a slight swerve could still make you lose control of the car. You are not a bad person for hitting the bird, it was an accident and could not be avoided.
Original post by WildeAboutOscar

I legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close to me.


I hate this excuse, you are in control of the car, no one else.

If it was a person in the road would you swerve because you 'legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close' to you? If they hit you it's their problem. You can always brake, don't be afraid to use that pedal.

Was it a straight road (a) or was it a curved road (b)?

(a) How did you not see it on a straight road? You should be looking as far as you can along the road.

(b) Why are you swerving on a corner?
1 minute of silence for the poor birdy... :frown:
I feel you could've braked but REGARDLESS don't hate yourself. These things happen. I understand being broken up about it though. I feel bad just reading on it.
Reply 6
Such things happen.

Please don't swerve the car onto oncoming traffic as not just does that endanger you as a driver but also other road users. I once saw someone swerve to avoid a cat only to run into a bicycle.
Reply 7
You've probably killed hundreds of insects and the like already
Original post by Runninground
I hate this excuse, you are in control of the car, no one else.

If it was a person in the road would you swerve because you 'legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close' to you? If they hit you it's their problem. You can always brake, don't be afraid to use that pedal.

Was it a straight road (a) or was it a curved road (b)?

(a) How did you not see it on a straight road? You should be looking as far as you can along the road.

(b) Why are you swerving on a corner?


In fairness, if it was a person in the road that's an entirely different situation which the emergency stop is for and the tailgater would in all likelihood go into the back of your car which is their fault, but is it really worth all that hassle for the sake of a bird? Best to slow down slightly in the hope that the bird avoids you, but swerving or braking hard isn't safe in this situation.
Reply 9
I've hit all sorts of things.

Hit a pigeon once... feathers everywhere... didn't stop. When I got home an hour later it was wedged arse first in the grill and was cooked through. I gave it the dog to munch.

hit a pheasant on another occasion... bastard thing broke the Grill of my car - annoyingly it was a really rare grille so I had to glue it back together. I did stop for that one, though... can't leave an animal dying in the road that'd just be cruel. Had to stamp on it's head.

Mate of mine hit a collie dog on a country road... that made a mess.

Another pal hit a baby muntjack. That made a mess of the car!


If it was a pigeon you hit don't worry about it - nothing but flying rats.
I did an emergency break for a pigeon once !
get a grip woman.

i swerve into animals, you know, to keep road users safe and stuff.
I've killed a few Pheasants. Those things just love to run out into the road while you're driving past. I also had one fly into my windscreen. Damn thing broke and bent my wipers.

Can't help it and no point in fretting over it.
Reply 13
I've hit a couple of things before, it's not particularly nice but I wouldn't say it was a 'cry for the rest of my journey' kind of event. A pheasant once decided to fly up in front of my Land Rover and made a connection with the front of my roof rack. I genuinely thought it was going to hit the screen, and because Defender screens are flat rather than curved they're fairly weak and a pheasant would definitely have nailed it. Luckily for me, it got up another couple of inches and made sweet, sweet love with the front of my metal roof rack instead. A rabbit was the worst one, the car bumped twice and the poor buggar was gone. Thirty seconds of reverence and I carried on thinking about my day.
I'm a similar sort of person, and earlier this year I had my first animal collision after nearly 10 years of driving. Again it was a phesent, flew out from the side. I hit the brake and started moving to the right (having checked the mirror), but realised it wasn't working so released the brake and swerved left but it hit the front right of the car. Really shook me up, but I know there was nothing more I could have done. I've also avoided many animals in the past, which on the whole makes me feel better. Also, it was in the back of my mind that it was bred to be shot anyway, and I did end up saying a few choice words relelating to the sort of people involved in the breeding and shooting of pheasents, especially in locations near busy dual carriageways.
Reply 15
I have hit a duck, in the head, body rolls out under the car like a rugby ball.

Not much fun, but its life/death, a risk of driving, the same way crossing the road is a risk for us.

Mum hit a badger once and was properly gutted. Then had to fork out about 500quid in repairs for the car.



Daniel
Reply 16
Original post by WildeAboutOscar
I am the type of girl who doesn't even kill spiders - I prohibit others from doing so and lift them outside.

However this morning on an NSL road I was driving to work and a bird was in front of me. Usually I encounter plenty of pheasants and swerve into the other lane where possible.

This morning there was traffic both sides of the road and it didn't fly away. I tried to swerve slightly to avoid it but hit it and killed it. I actually cried the rest of the way to work. Am I an awful person? Have you ever killed anything while driving?

I legit couldn't break because the car behind was really close to me.


You could have stopped because the driver behind would leave space to stop and it'sunlikely it would hve caused a serious accident.. I can only hope your actions haven't left little baby chicks to suffer agony and starve to death.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by Creat0r
You could have stopped because the driver behind would leave space to stop and it'sunlikely it would hve caused a serious accident.. I can only hope your actions haven't left little baby chicks to suffer agony and starve to death.


Except that sadly a lot of cars don't leave enough space that if you had to jam the anchors on they wouldn't go up your back.
no its not your fault.don't blame yourself.if you could have you wouldn't serve swerved out of the way.I hit a deer.it was late at night .the dear just darted in front of my car.it took me months to get over it.I kept thinking it was my fault.I finally realized there was nothing I could do about it.
Reply 19
Original post by JC.

Mate of mine hit a collie dog on a country road... that made a mess.


Thats not ideal!