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move, often unpredictably. Remem- ber, there may be deer closer to you that you haven't seen yet. Blowing the horn or flashing the lights may spook one right into your path. You could swerve around the deer, but you have no idea if, when, or in what direction the deer will move. Also, you have vegetation near the road. Swerving the bike at high speed could send you off the road into the trees or into oncoming traffic. In a seemingly uncontrollable situ-
ation you have control over one of the most critical factors in surviving, or avoiding a collision, SPEED. Remem- ber, you’re lucky, you've actually seen the deer. You have time to react. The appropriate response is to brake and brake hard, keeping the bike upright. The idea is to slow down faster than you think you need to, because it's the deer you don't see that may get you. The faster you can reduce your speed, the more time you have to assess if there are other deer nearby and the better your chance of avoiding a colli- sion. If the worst happens and you do collide with a deer, low speeds and a stable riding position will give you the best chance of remaining upright.
What about deer whistles? Deer whistles
have been on the market for years. The claim is that the high-pitched sound they emit will somehow scare deer out of your path. Not only has this claim never been proven with hard data, the few credible, published studies involving whistles have shown no effect. A 1992 study in the Wild- life Society Bulletin could not detect any differences in responses from 150 groups of free-roaming mule deer to a vehicle with and without deer whistles. A 2009 Journal of Wildlife Management study concluded that the sounds typically generated by deer whistles did not alter behavior of free-rang- ing white-tailed deer in a manner that would prevent deer-vehicle collisions. Some of the deer whistles available today can cost upwards of $30. My advice to riders is to save your money and use it toward a good helmet. While no riding behavior will completely
eliminate the chance of hitting a deer, there is one that can significantly lessen the sever- ity of the outcome. Many refer to it as ATGATT (all the gear, all the time). Back in July, standing along the road after just col- liding with a deer at 75 mph and sliding down the pavement for nearly 100 yards, I realized I was standing. My bike was totaled, parts strewn across the roadway. The deer
lay on the side of the road gasping its last breath, and I was standing! Later at the trauma center in Bozeman, the staff looked at me in amazement after hearing what happened. The only injury I sustained was a fractured forearm, nothing a short cast and six weeks wouldn't fix. The attending, a puzzled look on his face, asked me, “What were you wearing?” I told him, “The usual, one-piece riding suit with body armor, full face helmet, riding boots, and gloves.” He looked me square in the eye and said in a low voice, “That's not the usual.” In my situ- ation, I have no doubt that wearing good gear while riding greatly lessened the sever- ity of my injuries and may have saved my life.
There is no riding behavior that will
completely prevent a DVC, short of not rid- ing at all, but knowing the risks, under- standing deer behavior and modifying your actions accordingly will certainly reduce your chances of a serious collision. I picked up my new GS Adventure in
October. I even managed to get in a few hundred miles of riding before the snow fell. Come Spring, I'll be riding again. I've got two camping trips and two rallies planned for next year. Ride on and ride safe.
Using Your Knowledge of Deer Behavior to Ride Smarter
1. Pay attention to wildlife crossing signs which mean SLOW DOWN. 2. Avoid riding at night particularly in high risk areas or at high-risk times. If you must ride at night in these areas, SLOW DOWN.
3. If you ride at night, use your high-beams as much as possible. Consider installing auxiliary lighting. The farther you can see the more time you have to react.
4. When riding in high-risk areas or times cover the brake to reduce reaction time.
5. When riding at night, eye-shine will likely be your first clue of animal activity ahead. Eye-shine is often hard to distinguish from roadside reflectors. If the shine twinkles or blinks, cover the brake.
6. To borrow a phrase from David Preston, “When the helmet drops, the bullshit stops.” Especially in high-risk areas and during high-risk times keeping your mind on the task at hand is essential. Deer may appear anywhere and at anytime. Being alert and “in the moment” will increase your chances of spotting deer while you still have time to act.
7. ATGATT. The threat of a DVC is real; if the worst comes to pass, you'll need all the protection you can get.
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BMW OWNERS NEWS August 2016
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