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When I was a kid we drove. A Lot. It was a sort of entertainment for my parents and a means of teaching us kids patience and self control.  I called it torture.  How many wiggly seven year olds do you know would relish the idea of sitting in a confined space sardine-style with their four siblings for endless miles along a deserted back road?

We did come up with a game to pass the time: counting road kill.  Not the kindest game, but we were obviously limited in our entertainment choices.  On the other hand, we did see some really neat specimens like a four-point buck, the huge porcupine, and even a rattle snake.  My personal favorites were the skunks because they sparked much conversation in the car for miles afterward, and I figured it was a very poetic way to repay my parent’s for the forced confinement.  I’ve always had a very well developed sense of irony.

When I was a teen, I had my first experience with being the producer of such road kill. I was driving my beater truck after dark and the deer just jumped right in front of me. The truck didn’t stand a chance and was considered totaled.  Road kill accidents take a heavy toll not only on animal life, but on pocket books as well.

The numbers don’t lie; there are nearly one million animals killed by cars every day pouring more than eight billion dollars into repair shops’ registers every year.

The type of animal varies by topography, traffic patterns and geography, but speaking generally, squirrels and rats are the biggest victims of road kill incidents.  Find out what road kill is most common in your neck of the woods by clicking the graphic.

If you look at the statistics and think that those numbers just can’t be right, consider how many squirrels you see on the roadside when compared to deer. Stop and consider this: what are you more likely to observe when you are streaming down the freeway at 60 mph: an animal the size of a teacup purse pooch or a 150+ pound deer?

Not only is the deer more visible, it also makes a better story to tell at parties.  How many would relate the sad tale of running down a fuzzy little squirrel?  Only the most cold-hearted or unrefined persons. But when you show up with a new car, the story about that deer just tumbles out whether you really wanted to tell it or not.

In spite of providing one with a story to tell, road kill really isn’t a laughing matter. I never saw any of the deceased grinning as we played our game. The cost in terms of life and insurance bills is huge.  The lesser thought of toll is that of family loss: 32 million cats and dogs are victims of road kill each year.

Fortunately for your wallet and for those lives senselessly taken, road kill can be reduced in a number of ways.  First, try to avoid driving at times when animals are most active.  Also, having your headlights in good working order and adjusted to the proper height is very important as well.  Finally, keeping your braking systems maintained and not driving too fast, especially after dark, will keep your bumper from making contact with those fuzzy animals that share our roads.

The seven year olds of today have other means of road trip diversions.  They won’t miss out.

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