Dead animals in the road.

[Nolan-GA]

I am wondering if there are any statistics on which lane (right or left in the same direction) of a four lane highway dead animals are most likely to be in?

 

[Mellow]

I don't think so, never seen it... it's pretty much a crap shoot..

 

[Williamson]

At the Council I work for here in AUS, we use to keep statistics on road kill, but not that one. IMHO, logic would indicate most road kill on multi-lane roads would be in the left lane because there is more traffic in the left lane, and that is because in AUS we drive / ride on the left and have a "keep left unless overtaking rule".

So for US and CA substitute right for left. My two month driving experience in US and CA is that drivers / riders are very courteous and disciplined and keep to the right unless overtaking - unlike Aussie drivers in AUS.

 

[ddemair]

At the Council I work for here in AUS, we use to keep statistics on road kill, but not that one. IMHO, logic would indicate most road kill on multi-lane roads would be in the left lane because there is more traffic in the left lane, and that is because in AUS we drive / ride on the left and have a "keep left unless overtaking rule".

So for US and CA substitute right for left. My two month driving experience in US and CA is that drivers / riders are very courteous and disciplined and keep to the right unless overtaking - unlike Aussie drivers in AUS.

I'm going to assume you didn't drive much around the New York metropolitan area. I'm in central New Jersey and motorists failing to keep right is on of my pet peeves. In fairness, however, many roads are not designed to accommodate "keep right" (such as left exits) and the volume of traffic is great enough that sometimes moving into the right lane gets you stuck there.

As for dead things... I do a fair amount of bicycle riding and it seems to me that most of them are near or on the shoulder.

 

[scootac]

Lots of them are scattered out over BOTH lanes!!!

 

[Upt' North]

Having just got back from Alnwick, which is 20 miles of country roads, they're covered in blummin pheasants, dead and alive, no distinguishable pattern of death; but the crow's were enjoying the carnage.
Good news is I didn't hit one of the flying rats.
Upt'North.

 

[Mellow]

Doesn't matter statistics are typically creative and focused on the authors intent.

One thing is certain... if some study says they will always be on the right side of the lane, and you decide to travel mostly on the left side... 9 times out of 10, you'll hit one on the left side... lol.. So even if they existed, ignore the stats... just be attentive and assume they can be anywhere, dead or alive..

 

[Jeff F]

I just look for the deer crossing signs because I know that's where they'll be.

 

[CruSTy]

I just look for the deer crossing signs because I know that's where they'll be.

 

[scootac]

I just look for the deer crossing signs because I know that's where they'll be.

Amazing how they've learned to read!!!
Down here they read when hunting season starts and they go hide out for awhile!!!

 

[scootac]

Doesn't matter statistics are typically creative and focused on the authors intent...

Didn't somebody famous once say 'There's lies, there's damn lies....and then there's statistics!'

Twain maybe???

 

[Dale_I]

I would suspect, and it's been my experience, that most of the dead animals will be just off the right lane to the right (or left lane to the left for AUS). Reason? After the kill hit others will continue to run it over and eventually they end up just off the road towards whatever side it was hit. Just likes rocks, trash, or anything else that ends up in the road.

We get a lot of deer. They usually end up right where the blood stain in the road stops. Then you can see where someone dragged them off to the right...

 

[SMSW]

In my experience, most animal carcasses remain where the beast was killed.

 

[ST Gui]

Doesn't matter statistics are typically creative and focused on the authors intent.

Even when they aren't there are usually a lot of variables that are either not considered in the initial gathering, or ignored by those 'reusing' them creatively focused on some intent. That leaves is free to ignore or use them for our own purposes. Not that it would ever happen.

 

[SupraSabre]

So for US and CA substitute right for left. My two month driving experience in US and CA is that drivers / riders are very courteous and disciplined and keep to the right unless overtaking - unlike Aussie drivers in AUS.

Maybe in Texas where they will "site" (ticket) you for driving in the left lane, but in CA, you usually have to pass the turkey doing around (or lower) than the speed limit, sitting in the left lane!

 

[ST Gui]

Yeah CA has no 'Passing Lane' laws for the 'fast' lane. With our traffic few roads could support that. We used to have SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT signs but those have been long gone everywhere I've been. There are a couple of impeding traffic laws but they've seldom enforced.

 

[dwalby]

Yeah CA has no 'Passing Lane' laws for the 'fast' lane. With our traffic few roads could support that. We used to have SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT signs but those have been long gone everywhere I've been. There are a couple of impeding traffic laws but they've seldom enforced.

we still have the keep right signs around here, but they're worthless, nobody obeys that law and no cop ever seems to enforce it. I suspect its because its a bit ambiguous what constitutes 'slower' when everyone is going 15mph over the speed limit. You could probably argue to a judge that you were going the speed limit, so why would you be obligated to drive in a 'slow traffic' lane?

 

[Williamson]

I'm going to assume you didn't drive much around the New York metropolitan area........

You assume correctly. our driving was in the PNW, BC, and then a loop though to the Grand Canyon and return to CA. Except for LA, I was pleasantly surprised with the courtesy of the drivers.

In AUS, too many drivers are agorrant and rude, road rage is too frequent. I suspect you don't get much road rage in the US, I get the impression that it could escalate pretty quickly, someone pull a gun and finish it.

Another pleasant surprise was the respect drivers had for pedestrians. If that is something you guys are use to, be careful when you come to Australia. If you step on to the road here don't expect a driver to stop, expect to get run over.

...... you were going the speed limit, so why would you be obligated to drive in a 'slow traffic' lane?

That seems to be the attitude here.

There are frequent calls for the Police to enforce the "keep left unless overtaking" rule on rural on multi-lane rural roads and freeways, these mostly have a 110km/h limit, but some drivers will sit in the right lane at 90km/h. Every now and again there will be a report of someone being booked, and then that follows with do-gooders whining about us being over-policed, revenue raising - Victoria is often referred to as the nanny state.

 

[ST Gui]

I suspect you don't get much road rage in the US, I get the impression that it could escalate pretty quickly, someone pull a gun and finish it.

Unfortunately that happens here far too often and more than we'd like to admit.

Every now and again there will be a report of someone being booked, and then that follows with do-gooders whining about us being over-policed, revenue raising

That too! LOL We want the other guy to get nicked but whine when we're caught doing the same thing. 'Why aren't you out catching criminals!' Making revenue off the backs of violators is fine by me.

 

[jettawreck]

we still have the keep right signs around here, but they're worthless, nobody obeys that law and no cop ever seems to enforce it. I suspect its because its a bit ambiguous what constitutes 'slower' when everyone is going 15mph over the speed limit. You could probably argue to a judge that you were going the speed limit, so why would you be obligated to drive in a 'slow traffic' lane?

There should never be reference to "slow lane" or "fast lane" as almost no one wants to be associated with life in the "slow lane". It should always be referred to as the "driving lane" and the "passing lane". Maybe that would help, but I doubt it.