Hitting a pigeon when driving

shiraz99

uknick said:

I think this comes under, "you couldn't make it up".

Yet someone sure did 😂

Ebe_Scrooge

shiraz99 said:

uknick said:

I think this comes under, "you couldn't make it up".

Yet someone sure did 😂

I don't think the part about hitting the deer is made up.  Round here we get hundreds of them, they're a menace.  Often on the motorways as well.  You'll see loads of dead deer on the motorway verges and central reservations at certain times of the year.  And hitting a deer at 60 or 70 mph is going to make a right mess of your car.

Belenus

Ebe_Scrooge said:

Years ago when I was a kid, we were parked up in a lay-by having a break from the journey.  Saw a lorry hit a rabbit, and

don't read on if you're squeamish ................................

the rabbit's leg was mashed into the road, and the poor thing was flopping around from side to side unable to move.  We watched the lorry quickly reverse back over it - making sure to completely flatten it.  Me and my bro asked my dad why the lorry driver had done that, and obviously he explained it really was the kindest thing to do, rather than letting it lie there in agony and die slowly.

Still makes me shudder every time I remember it.  Of course the lorry driver did the right thing - but it was a horrible thing for a little kid to watch.

Similar happened to me a few years ago. I was driving my wife and another couple to the pub one evening when a little bunny ran out in front of the car. I hit it and saw it in the rear view mirror flopping about. I stopped the car and reversed over it until I was sure it was dead.

Even though I knew I had done the right thing I felt awful all evening.

shiraz99

Ebe_Scrooge said:

shiraz99 said:

uknick said:

I think this comes under, "you couldn't make it up".

Yet someone sure did 😂

I don't think the part about hitting the deer is made up.  Round here we get hundreds of them, they're a menace.  Often on the motorways as well.  You'll see loads of dead deer on the motorway verges and central reservations at certain times of the year.  And hitting a deer at 60 or 70 mph is going to make a right mess of your car.

I was referring to the OP.

Alanp

One has hit a few peasants on the estate, some didn’t remove their hats as the good lady and I passed them by, others didn’t tug their forelock’s nor bow low enough, one must find a better class of peasant…

castle96

If you ever have the chance to kill a magpie (humanely - experienced shooter is best), do it. Have you ever seen the damage they do to young sheep, etc.?

Car_54

castle96 said:

If you ever have the chance to kill a magpie (humanely - experienced shooter is best), do it. Have you ever seen the damage they do to young sheep, etc.?

Isn't the magpie a protected species? If so, killing one could see you behind bars.

Mistral001

Isn't this not a matter of whether the animal is considered property or not?  So strictly speaking if this particular bird had a ring on it suggesting that it was a racing pigeon it would be considered the property of someone.  However, I do not think you could be blamed if you did not notice the ring.

Car_54

Mistral001 said:

Isn't this not a matter of whether the animal is considered property or not?  So strictly speaking if this particular bird had a ring on it suggesting that it was a racing pigeon it would be considered the property of someone.  However, I do not think you could be blamed if you did not notice the ring.

No. The law [Road Traffic Act 1988, s.170(1(b))] specifically distinguishes between "animals" and "other property", and it defines animal to mean horse, cattle, !!!!!!, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog. 

So far as the Act is concerned, the ownership of the pigeon is irrelevant.

TooManyPoints

Isn't this not a matter of whether the animal is considered property or not? 

No it isn't. The Road Traffic Act is quite specific when determining the requirement to stop: It is when:

(b) damage is caused—

(i) to a vehicle other than that mechanically propelled vehicle or a trailer drawn by that mechanically propelled vehicle or

(ii) to an animal other than an animal in or on that mechanically propelled vehicle or a trailer drawn by that mechanically propelled vehicle, or

(iii) to any other property constructed on, fixed to, growing in or otherwise forming part of the land on which the road or place in question is situated or land adjacent to such land.

The definition of "animal" is provided and it lists the eight varieties I mentioned in my earlier post. Pigeons (racing or otherwise, ringed or not) are not on the list.