My recent collision was a brutal reminder that even after 50 years on two wheels, certain risks are simply unavoidable. We can wear the best gear, practice impeccable defensive riding, scan the roadsides, and be acutely aware of peak deer activity times (dawn, dusk, mating season in the fall).
It All Happens so Fast…
Early last fall, my half-century of riding experience nearly came to an abrupt, and potentially tragic, end. It was a warm autumn afternoon, a typical ride on a familiar rural road, the kind of day every motorcyclist lives for. I had just installed a new Michelin Road 5 tire on the front of the bike and was out for a test ride. Then, without warning, a blur of brown exploded from the treeline just feet in front of me. At over 55 miles an hour, there was simply no time. No time to brake, no time to swerve, no time for anything but the sickening thud of impact. I hit a deer.
In my case, the deer had actually hit me. Slamming into the side of the front wheel, it broke the front turn signal, smashed into my right leg, then rubbed the rest of the right side of the bike doing more damage to the tail section. I was just coming out of a slight bend in the road and the bike remained fairly stable and planted to the road. At least that’s the way I remember it. The folks in the black pick-up truck behind me may have a slightly different version to tell.
At first, I thought my right leg was broken. It turned to just be baddly bruised. It was my mental state that took the worst hit. I had been down this road hundreds of times, and knew that there were frequently deer in the area, but this deer came from an unexpected spot along the road and was on me before I could even think to react. The thought of being helpless on the bike weighted on me.
I was lucky. Incredibly, profoundly lucky. But that split second of unavoidable collision brought home a stark reality that every rider, regardless of experience, needs to understand: deer are uniquely perilous adversaries for motorcyclists. More so than almost any other road hazard, they pose a disproportionate threat to those of us on two wheels.
But why? Why are these seemingly graceful creatures such a devastating risk for motorcyclists? It boils down to a confluence of factors that amplify the danger in ways car drivers rarely experience.
1. The Physics of Impact: No Crumple Zones, Just You
When a car hits a deer, there’s a significant amount of metal and engineered safety features designed to absorb the impact. The car crumples, the airbags deploy, and while injuries can occur, the vehicle itself acts as a protective cage.
For a motorcyclist, there is no crumple zone. There is no protective cage. The bike is the crumple zone, and you are directly in the line of fire. When your motorcycle collides with an animal as substantial as a deer (which can weigh anywhere from 100 to over 300 pounds), the forces involved are immense.
- Direct Impact: Unlike a car where the impact is absorbed by the vehicle’s structure, on a motorcycle, the rider is often propelled directly into or over the animal, or the animal impacts the rider directly.
- Mass x Velocity: At 55 mph, the kinetic energy involved is staggering. That energy has to go somewhere, and unfortunately, a significant portion of it is transferred to the rider. Bones break, internal organs can be damaged, and traumatic brain injuries are a severe risk.
2. The Projectile Problem: When a Deer Becomes a Missile
This is perhaps the most terrifying aspect. While the initial impact with the deer itself is horrific, the secondary effect is often what causes the most grievous harm
- Flying Object: A deer, upon impact, can be launched into the air. If it goes over the handlebars, it can strike the rider, leading to devastating head, neck, and torso injuries. Even if it doesn’t hit the rider directly, a large animal impacting the windshield or roof of a car might be severe, but on a motorcycle, it means a direct hit to an unprotected individual.
- Loss of Control: The initial impact, regardless of where it occurs on the bike, can instantly destabilize the motorcycle, leading to a loss of control, a high-side or low-side crash, and the rider being separated from the bike. Once you’re sliding or tumbling on asphalt at speed, the secondary injuries from road rash, impacts with the ground, and other obstacles become a grim reality.
3. The Rider’s Vulnerability: Exposed and Unforgiving
Unlike the relative safety of an enclosed vehicle, a motorcyclist is entirely exposed. Every square inch of your body is vulnerable.
- Lack of Structure: There’s nothing around you to absorb impact from the side, above, or below.
- Reliance on Balance: A motorcycle’s stability is inherently tied to forward motion and rider input. A sudden, massive impact can instantly disrupt this delicate balance, turning a controlled machine into an out-of-control projectile.
- Limited Protection: While riding gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots) provides crucial abrasion and some impact protection, it cannot replicate the structural integrity of a car’s chassis in a high-speed collision with a large animal. My helmet and gear undoubtedly saved me from far worse injuries, but they couldn’t prevent the raw force of the impact from shaking me to my core.
4. Unpredictability and Reaction Time: The Ultimate Challenge
Deer are wild animals, and their behavior is inherently unpredictable. Unlike hitting a static object or even another vehicle whose movements are governed by traffic laws, a deer can:
- Change Direction Instantly: One moment they’re standing by the roadside, the next they’re darting into your path, often changing direction multiple times.
- Freeze in Headlights: They can become disoriented by light, freezing directly in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
- Travel in Groups: If you see one, assume there are more. The second or third deer can be the one you never see until it’s too late.
As my experience showed, at 55 mph, even with decades of defensive riding habits, the sudden appearance of a deer just a few feet in front of the bike leaves absolutely zero time for any evasive action. A rider’s reaction time, no matter how sharp, is simply outmatched by the combined speed of the bike and the deer’s sudden movement.
5. Staying Vigilant in an Imperfect World
My recent collision was a brutal reminder that even after 50 years on two wheels, certain risks are simply unavoidable. We can wear the best gear, practice impeccable defensive riding, scan the roadsides, and be acutely aware of peak deer activity times (dawn, dusk, mating season in the fall). We can slow down in known deer crossings and be extra vigilant near treelines, agricultural fields, and bodies of water.
But sometimes, despite all precautions, fate deals a cruel hand. Understanding why deer are such a unique and profound danger for motorcyclists isn’t meant to instill fear, but to foster a deeper respect for the inherent risks, and to reinforce the absolute necessity of every safety measure at our disposal. Because when it comes to deer, the odds are stacked against us in ways few other road hazards can match.