7 ms·

Cars have this handy peddle on the floor that lets you slow down the car without power-sliding it. You should give that a try.

iab 5y ago
Great answer - thankfully that’s always possible right?
- dogorman 5y ago
  Yes, if you are driving responsibly then using the brakes is always an option. All cars have brakes; they're required to by law. If using the brakes is not an option then you already fucked up (e.g. you were going too fast on a slippery road.)
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    I've lived in deer country for five years. It's quite literally impossible to brake every time a deer hits the road in front of you because they have the ability to teleport into and out of the space in front of you with a speed that is frankly unbelievable until you have it happen to you. I managed to avoid all but one of these encounters and I chalk it up to luck rather than reaction speed or driving skill and that was at fairly low (< 40 mph) speeds. Deer standing safely by the road side will happily panic and jump in front of your car at the last possible moment. In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.
    - klyrs 5y ago
      Agreed. The deer I hit lept out of a ditch that I couldn't see into, on an unfamiliar highway, and landed less than a car-length in front of my car. About 10 miles later, I drove my blood/hair/shit-encrusted car past a "deer area" sign. Thanks...
  - iab 5y ago
    This shows me that you have little real-world experience driving in challenging conditions
klyrs 5y ago
It doesn't rain or snow where you live, then? I guess you've never had a deer jump out in front of your car, either.
- dogorman 5y ago
  Of course it does, and that's why I was taught that if the condition of the road would make slowing your vehicle unsafe at the speed you are moving, then you were going too fast. The speed limit is not a "safe in all conditions" speed; you are expected to drive substantially slower than the speed limit if road conditions are poor. Didn't they teach you that? Do you even have a drivers license? I grew up in rural PA, learned to drive there and lived there for several years afterwards. I've seen rain and snow. I've seen more deer than you can shake a stick at. I've never driven into one, though once one slammed into the side of my car. It isn't rocket science; if the road or visibility conditions are poor, slow the fuck down. Poor visibility includes brush or tall grass by the side of the road, because deer hide in that shit. If you see it, particularly at night, slow the fuck down. Edit: Did you even watch the video Jacques? The deer did not jump into the side of the vehicle, the deer jumped well in front of the car, with plenty of time to stop. I swear people on this site will pretend to be complete retards to defend Tesla. "Use your brakes to avoid a collision? I had no idea that was considered a best practice!" No. Fuck off.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    > I've never driven into one, though once one slammed into the side of my car. Clearly you weren't using your brakes timely. Seriously, I don't get the 'holier than thou' attitude here and in other comments when it's clear that even you did not manage to avoid all close encounters with deer. The deer that hit your car in the side could have just as easily ended up in front and you'd have been unable to avoid it. This stuff simply happens and it is obvious that in some cases the driver isn't at fault but the deer is, unfortunately they aren't quite smart enough to understand the situation enough to keep themselves safe. So we humans will do what we can, but accidents can and will happen.

iab 5y ago

Great answer - thankfully that’s always possible right?

dogorman 5y ago
Yes, if you are driving responsibly then using the brakes is always an option. All cars have brakes; they're required to by law. If using the brakes is not an option then you already fucked up (e.g. you were going too fast on a slippery road.)
- jacquesm 5y ago
  I've lived in deer country for five years. It's quite literally impossible to brake every time a deer hits the road in front of you because they have the ability to teleport into and out of the space in front of you with a speed that is frankly unbelievable until you have it happen to you. I managed to avoid all but one of these encounters and I chalk it up to luck rather than reaction speed or driving skill and that was at fairly low (< 40 mph) speeds. Deer standing safely by the road side will happily panic and jump in front of your car at the last possible moment. In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.
  - klyrs 5y ago
    Agreed. The deer I hit lept out of a ditch that I couldn't see into, on an unfamiliar highway, and landed less than a car-length in front of my car. About 10 miles later, I drove my blood/hair/shit-encrusted car past a "deer area" sign. Thanks...
- iab 5y ago
  This shows me that you have little real-world experience driving in challenging conditions

klyrs 5y ago

It doesn't rain or snow where you live, then? I guess you've never had a deer jump out in front of your car, either.

dogorman 5y ago
Of course it does, and that's why I was taught that if the condition of the road would make slowing your vehicle unsafe at the speed you are moving, then you were going too fast. The speed limit is not a "safe in all conditions" speed; you are expected to drive substantially slower than the speed limit if road conditions are poor. Didn't they teach you that? Do you even have a drivers license? I grew up in rural PA, learned to drive there and lived there for several years afterwards. I've seen rain and snow. I've seen more deer than you can shake a stick at. I've never driven into one, though once one slammed into the side of my car. It isn't rocket science; if the road or visibility conditions are poor, slow the fuck down. Poor visibility includes brush or tall grass by the side of the road, because deer hide in that shit. If you see it, particularly at night, slow the fuck down. Edit: Did you even watch the video Jacques? The deer did not jump into the side of the vehicle, the deer jumped well in front of the car, with plenty of time to stop. I swear people on this site will pretend to be complete retards to defend Tesla. "Use your brakes to avoid a collision? I had no idea that was considered a best practice!" No. Fuck off.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  > I've never driven into one, though once one slammed into the side of my car. Clearly you weren't using your brakes timely. Seriously, I don't get the 'holier than thou' attitude here and in other comments when it's clear that even you did not manage to avoid all close encounters with deer. The deer that hit your car in the side could have just as easily ended up in front and you'd have been unable to avoid it. This stuff simply happens and it is obvious that in some cases the driver isn't at fault but the deer is, unfortunately they aren't quite smart enough to understand the situation enough to keep themselves safe. So we humans will do what we can, but accidents can and will happen.