A funny thing happened with My Prius

[JoeMagnusson]

We where driving over the Grapevine lake dam one Sunday morning when we spotted some birds on the road. As we got closer and closer, they did not move. When we got to the birds, we heard the thump thump and my wife screamed “WE HIT THE BIRDS”. Yes the quietness of cruising along with only the electric motor or with no motor running is too quiet for the poor birds to hear. Now we always use the horn when approaching birds on the road.
Joe in Texas

[black_metal_525]

That's so sad about the birds, bit still kind of funny. I'm curious if our military could use Prius technology to perform hit and runs on enemy forces. I've seen it almost happen in parking lots with other Priuses and pedestrians, and apparently now we have evidence that it works with birds too. I wonder what other stealth exterminations we could utilize the Prius for :P .

I do have to ask, though, if you saw that the birds weren't moving out of the way of the vehicle, why didn't you stop? In any case, it's a good warning to all Prius owners to be mindful of how quiet the vehicle is when running in stealth.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Those dam birds!

BM525, there was a story a couple years ago about gangsters using the Prius foo drive-by shootings because they could sneak up quietly.

[Tech_Guy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JoeMagnusson @ May 16 2007, 05:53 AM) [snapback]443222[/snapback]</div>

We where driving over the Grapevine lake dam one Sunday morning when we spotted some birds on the road. As we got closer and closer, they did not move. When we got to the birds, we heard the thump thump and my wife screamed “WE HIT THE BIRDS”. Yes the quietness of cruising along with only the electric motor or with no motor running is too quiet for the poor birds to hear. Now we always use the horn when approaching birds on the road.
Joe in Texas
[/b]

FYI,

This item seems inappropriate in this section (Prius and Hybrid News), it should have been listed in "Prius Main Forum".

Regards,

Keith

[Michgal007]

That's terrible. I usually stop and let them move. Once a bird crossed the road on the crosswalk at a stop sign. I had to stop and wait.

[Ichabod]

I question the veracity of this story in the same way I question the veracity of the drive-by-shooting story, and all the hype about blind people being in terrible danger when a Prius drives by.

Birds have eyes on both sides of their heads and can see you coming long before they can hear you.

I stop my car partly to avoid killing things, but more importantly, to protect the finish of my beautiful Prius, so if you really did kill those birds... don't do it anymore!

[Tom6850]

Don't put yourself and others at risk by trying to avoid birds, cats, dogs etc. A lot of accidents happen resulting in injury or death trying to avoid these small critters. I hate to see them get hit, but better them than me or someone else.

[Ichabod]

You don't have to put yourself or anyone else at risk to avoid an obvious and stationary obstacle. Assuming the OP is a true story, they saw the animals well before there was any threshold of safety to avoid hitting them.

Slowing down, even stomping on the brakes, is not an unnecessary risk. If someone rear-ends you it's their fault for being too close to safely stop.

[Earthling]

I spotted a dead woodchuck in my lane on the Interstate.

I carefully straddled the animal with my Prius, to avoid striking it.

Right as I got to it, the "dead" woodchuck stood up!

There was an loud metallic clank. I think the stiffening plate got him right in the back of the head.

Harry

[hampdenwireless]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ May 16 2007, 12:49 PM) [snapback]443501[/snapback]</div>

You don't have to put yourself or anyone else at risk to avoid an obvious and stationary obstacle. Assuming the OP is a true story, they saw the animals well before there was any threshold of safety to avoid hitting them.

Slowing down, even stomping on the brakes, is not an unnecessary risk. If someone rear-ends you it's their fault for being too close to safely stop.
[/b]

Every situation is different. I would NOT slam on my brakes before checking around and behind me. I would not swerve for birds, if someone was in my blind spot it would have not have been worth it.

Hey, maybe if we just drive straight they will learn <by evolution> to get out of the way. Give it a few years.