Glad I've got a bar..

[Jamo]

Hit a small roo today at 100kph on the gravel.

He jumped right in front so I hit him dead centre. He was only small so his head hit the top bar of the roobar and then he went under the car. His larger mate did a hurried about turn.

Fortunately he died instantly.

Even more fortunately for me, all the D3 suffered was a broken spotlight cover.

[Outlaw]

not good to hear about the roo being hit... but good to hear the D3 is well

[LandyAndy]

Hi Jamo
Good to see no harm done.
More problems caused trying to avoid animals rather than hitting them.
Andrew

[vnx205]

Hi Jamo
Good to see no harm done.
More problems caused trying to avoid animals rather than hitting them.
Andrew
Yes, I can still remember as a passenger being terrified by a driver who actually used to swerve to avoid rabbits on the road.

[easo]

Better to hit and survive than' swerve and die.

[Jamo]

I taught myself to never involutarily swerve ages ago when I first started doing longish hauls when i was a govt valuer. We had dunnydores and they were hopeless to control when swerving at any speed on any surface.

In this case I didn't get a chance anyway as the roo jumped out from the side from some thick scrub. Didn't even really get a chance to react.

I'm glad the roo died instantly. I would have had to slit it's throat or break it's neck or strangle it otherwise. And I hate watching things die.

I had Joan and Rose in the car too so there was no way I would have taken the chance at swerving anyway, not even in the superb handling D3.

I'm always going to come off best in a direct hit. 3000kg D3 at 100kph can easily beat 30kg roo at 20kph.

Plus I don't really want to find out what it's like to handle 3000kg going sideways at 100kph on gravel!:eek:

[easo]

The first roo I ever hit was in a VR dunnydoor in pucka.

My personal theory is (and it is my personal theory) that if when you see the roo you can do two things,

1. Brake, upon braking the front end dips/ dives and the roo goes underneath.

2. Hit the gas, upon speeding up, the front lifts up and you create momentum (spelling) and push the roo out of the way. Some times forward and they end up going under any way.

I base my experience on being a Tank driver. When the crew commander yells over the inter-com Big Hole, the driver should hit the 'go fast' pedal. This causes that tank's front to raise and go over the hole. If the driver was to brake the front of the Tank would then dip/ dive into the other side of the hole.

Remember this is my opinion on encounters with wild life and is not to be taken as the "actions on".

My opinion, Easo

[tombraider]

When one jumps in front of me, If far enough away I brake (slow) and just drive around...

If not far enough away I do nothing except line him dead centre to spread the impact through both rails...

I dont brake nor accelerate, just line it up and keep going steady.

Roos are stupid creatures... Totally unpredictable....

Braking hard throws the nose down and often flicks them over the bar into the windscreen.

Mate was here an hour ago... Last night on his run to work in Pt Augusta from Whyalla (he drives for Linfox from PtAugusta to Roxby each night) he hit 3 in 10 minutes...:eek: in his 4wd...

He was saying the run to Roxby and back was good for at least another 15 in the truck...

Apparently they're everywhere at the moment up there

[LandyAndy]

Sounds like it was a perfect size for the freezer Jamo:D:D:D:D:D
Andrew

[BMKal]

Agree with you Tombraider. There's plenty of them on the road between Kalgoorlie and Kambalda, and I react to them pretty much as you've said. I've hit a few, but generally able to slow down enough to either stop or drive around them - having HID lights is a big help.
Was over in Whyalla a little while back for 3 months doing a job out at SMR - managed to see quite a few on the road south of Whyalla at night, but fortunate enough not to hit any of them.

[ak]

When one jumps in front of me, If far enough away I brake (slow) and just drive around...

If not far enough away I do nothing except line him dead centre to spread the impact through both rails...

I dont brake nor accelerate, just line it up and keep going steady.

Roos are stupid creatures... Totally unpredictable....

Braking hard throws the nose down and often flicks them over the bar into the windscreen.

Mate was here an hour ago... Last night on his run to work in Pt Augusta from Whyalla (he drives for Linfox from PtAugusta to Roxby each night) he hit 3 in 10 minutes...:eek: in his 4wd...

He was saying the run to Roxby and back was good for at least another 15 in the truck...

Apparently they're everywhere at the moment up there

Yep, I've heard truckies and long haul drivers say exactly the same, when they are that close don't try and do anything other than keep the car straight and line then up and hope the car or 4wd your in has a bull bar. Braking hard only increases the risk of them hitting the wind-screen.

[Jamo]

There's been a lot around here for a years or so now. I used to see only one or two a week, now I'll see up to 30 or 40 in mobs.

It's actually easier then, you can generally spot some of them earlier on. We've also had pretty near perfect cropping weather which has resulted in lush road reserves and national parks (except where they're burnt); making them harder to see sometimes.