They don’t have headlights, taillights, reflectors or any other safety equipment. They can’t keep up anywhere near the minimum speed and they don’t even necessarily go the right direction in the traffic lanes.
(a note to Aglarond: Cavaliers may be OK for killing goats on the highway, but they don’t hold up well against a cow.)
My 25 year old daughter called me last night crying that she had an accident and had ruined my car. After calming her down and finding out she and her kids were OK, and reassuring her the car could be replaced, she told me what had happened.
She had borrowed my car to go to Missouri so the kids could see their dad and was on her way back. At 10:30 at night in southern OK, about 30 cows were loose on the highway. She was cruising along at 70 or so, caught a glimps of something in the road and the next thing she knew the airbags went off and she was rolling to a stop. The front of the car is smashed and the windshield is busted and she didn’t know where the cow ended up. The policeman said that a truck had hit another cow, too.
All this was after my 24 year old son had called earlier in the evening and said he had been in an accident. He was driving in the right lane and a car came over in his lane. He went up on the curb and destroyed both tires and rims on that side of his car. He was OK too.
Last night brought back the memories of having a house full of teenagers. At least, I have a lot of practice dealing with emergencies.
Several years ago ('70s) a friend of mine totalled his Camaro in a collision with a cow. I’ve never researched it, but I do remember him telling me that besides having to eat the car (figuratively, of course) he had to pay for the cow. I hope that’s not the way it really works.
beatle: Depends on the state. In some states, it’s your fault, as the animal is not intelligent and therefore unable to avoid the accident, in some states it’s the farmer’s fault for allowing the animal to escape.
A friend of mine destroyed my Escort with a donkey, once.
Thanks, Beatle. Everyone is OK and that’s the main thing. I just have to hassle with the insurance comapny for the next few days to get everything straightened out.
My daughter came by a little while ago and filled in a lot of details. There was mention that a cow does have the right of way unless there is negligence on the part of the owner. Having the entire herd out roaming on the highway and up and down all the back roads in the middle of the night might indicate a little negligence. They said there were probably 100 cows loose, 30 or 40 on the highway.
My daughter said that by the time she left the toll was: she hit one; a semi stopped up ahead, she didn’t know if he hit any; another truck behind her ran over one and hit another; 2 other cars hit cows.
The state trooper mentioned that he didn’t hold it against her even if she was from Texas, since OU was going to kick UT’s butt today. And they sure did that, 63 to 14.
Why not fit all cows with tail(?)lights and those reflective vests that highway workers wear?
And if they don’t know which side of the road to be on, then maybe someone ought to send them to a driver’s ed class.
They don’t go fast enough? Fit 'em with roller skates!
My brother-in-law hit a cow a couple of years ago. They have a little ranch outside of Austin and early one morning on his way to work, he just plowed right into it. It completely totaled his truck. IIRC, the owner was responsible for paying for damages to his vehicle.
I’m glad everybody was ok, Jim. That must be scary, to have two of your kids in accidents on the same day, even if they’re fine.
I’ve never hit a cow, but I did get a deer with my car once–it killed my radiator. The thing gutted itself on my front end–the engine compartment was full of deer shit. The car was fixable, but it had an unfortunate odor for awhile after that.
I know a couple of people who have had to pay for cow roadkill.
In most places I’ve been, if you are driving through open grazing land (fences are required along roads) you will be responsible to the farmer for the value of the cow.
You can usually tell when you are on open grazing land because you will go over cattle guards.
But it doesn’t sound like the accident was in such an area so I would be surprised if the rancher didn’t have some liability.
Thanks, Grace & MysterEcks. Yep, it was one of those scary nights that you just don’t know how it’s going to end.
A very nice local farmer lady helped my daughter out by letting the kids set in her truck to keep warm and took them all over to her house while they waited on my other daughter to come pick them up. There are nice people all over.
Anyway, she said that one of her cows got out and a car hit it in broad daylight and the driver had to pay for it. So, I think it depends on circumstances. A single cow standing in the middle of a 4 lane highway in broad daylight is quite different than 100 cows out in the middle of the night.
It’s an insurance matter now. I’ll get my car fixed or replaced no matter who ends up having to pay for it.
Livestock seems to favour wandering onto the roads at night when the day has been warm, I can ony guess that the road stays warm for quite a while after sunset.
What was wrong with the kids Jim? Why did they need to set? Did they liquefy? And how would setting keep them warm? Normally you need to cool something down to set it. At that’s what I do with Jello :-))
I’ve heard in the past it used to be if it’s daylight then it’s the driver’s fault and if it’s night then it was the farmer’s fault. Nowadays I believe it is on a case by case basis, as it probably should be. Fortunately I’ve never had to learn first hand, or even second hand for that matter.
As for prevention I’m thinking we should use reflective paint. Also why waste that paint on just meaningless splotches when we can sell space for advertising. I suppose you could also use gimmicky promotion slogans…
Pull My Teats
I’ve Got Milk
Cud Chewer
Out To Pasture
Bull Toy
Way back in 1979, I was driving to the big city of Woodward, OK to pick up a tux for my prom. We were in a little MG, following a pickup pulling a cattle trailer. Suddenly the gate swung open, and one of the cows decided it wanted to step out of the trailer. Mind you, we’re going about 70mph! I’ve never thought of a cow as an emotional type of animal, but let me tell you… He look surprised as hell when his first hoof touched the asphault! I’m sure we missed crashing into him by mere inches by swerving into the other lane (2 lane road, I’m surprised we didn’t get hit by an oncoming car.)
Don’t worry, the cow slid on his ass for awhile, and then ran into the ditch.