edders23 wrote:
I probably average 3 to 4 bird strikes a year 1 in 10 does damage it's amazing how often pheasants bounce off the windscreen and if it's only minor damage it's probably below your excess anyway
That sounds like a lot
In 105,000 miles in the current motor I can only recall hitting two birds, both of which caused minor damage. First, a pheasant ran into the side of the car, leaving one of those scuff marks which gradually disappears after a few washes
Second, a crow flew out and hit the centre of the bonnet, and the badge disappeared into a ditch. I found the badge after a while looking, and just slotted it back in. The plastic grille was broken, but it's not really noticeable after being pushed back into place.
So neither cost anything to repair, so no insurance implications.
Have hit two badgers, one went under the nearside wheel, and must have died instantly, but caused no damage to the car.
The other one hit the lower front and destroyed the lower plastic grille and bent the bumper a bit, but in grand scheme of things not significant damage. Ironically, the badger scurried off in the direction it came from into the trees, but can't see how it could have survived the collision
Luckily haven't hit a deer with this motor, and a deer strike was the only wildlife collision that's ever put me off the road.
But apart from the fact that anyone reading this will be bored [edited by admin] with it all, sometimes don't think should be going on about this kind of thing in case it tempts fate, and this is the worst time of the year for hitting badgers and deer etc, as they move around due to breeding etc (apparently).
But all in all I suppose things could have been worse, especially as I probably do more late night driving on country roads than most in the trade.
But I suppose your high 'strike rate' could be due to doing 80,000 miles per year on all those airport runs