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Message |
    
Patrick Lockyer.
Grand Master
Username: pat_lockyer
Post Number: 228
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, 15 January, 2005 - 07:03: |    |
To all who are concerned of a strike by a foreign animal to the front of our treasured cars.
Here in the Uk in the somewhat rural area driveing at the normal modest speed ofcorse! one has to be on the lookout for the leaping deer fox's badgers etc.
It has been brought to my notice that there is a device in Oz called the Shoo Roo used to clear the road ahead of kangeroos.
the unit i have been told fits to the front bumper and emits a high frequensy.
Has one been fitted and tested to a RR and if so does it work. |
David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore
Post Number: 369
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, 15 January, 2005 - 08:57: | |
Pat, after many years of use the "jury is still out" on this. I have many country friends who swear by them as they have never hit a roo and others who have hit more than one despite having the device fitted. The operative principle is to be very aware at dawn and dusk especially in timbered areas which hide the roos - no problem on the western plains as you can see them easily - you must always look for the second roo if you see one on its own [this is the one that is on the other side of the road and decides to join its mate at the same time you need the same bit of road!!]. The roo problem is worse in dry spells as the grass on the road verge seems to continue to grow and stay green longest - the roos know this and congregate there for a feed at dawn and dusk. In good seasons, they spread far and wide away from the roads.
I haven't used one of these devices over 40 years of driving an average of 50,000 Km/year on country roads; the only hit I had was a wallaby on the freeway in the outer northern suburbs of Sydney proper [F6 at Mt Colah for those who know the area] in 1973 - it was pouring rain at night-time and the wallaby was obviously blinded by the rain as it hopped down the road straight into my path. I did not take evasive action due to the possibility of aquaplaning on the sheets of water running across the road and skidding into the rock walls on each side of the road. It is better to hit the animal and suffer minor damage than to have a bigger accident trying to avoid it. Hitting a wallaby usually does not damage the car enough to prevent it being driven; a Western Red or Grey Kangaroo is a different story altogether as a new car is usually required afterwards. |
John Dare
Prolific User
Username: jgdare
Post Number: 68
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, 15 January, 2005 - 11:25: | |
I have also heard that these somewhat novel devices can be "hit or miss" in their operation,possibly being affected by atmospheric and other ambient conditions. Rumour also has it that different animals can respond in equally unpredictable ways to high frequency sound signals. This could require complex initial programming or the need to perform ad hoc dashboard "dial-ups" to format for either deer, fox, badger or marsupial etc. I rather imagine that could become a little tricky. |
Martin Cutler
Frequent User
Username: martin
Post Number: 26
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 17 January, 2005 - 16:05: | |
Hi guys,
A couple of years ago one of the guys in the Laverda Club collected an emu at high speed on his Moto Guzzi. Took ages to get all the emu guts out of the bike! He crashed, as you would expect, but avoided personal injury, luckily. After this, we all went out and purchased the little plastic shoo roo's, and on the next rally, one guy WITH the little devices fitted hit a wallaby, luckily only winging it, and didn't crash. He felt he was lulled into a false state of security, thinking the animal would hear the whistle and hop away, it didn't. The double sided tape failed shortly after on my bike, and the shoo roo fell off. I haven't bothered replacing it, just ride more carefully! |
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