Changes in cars is good news

[Ruth]

 There is a new large animal detection feature on the Volvo cars for 2017 and it is supposed to be a regular feature of all cars in not so far future:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/large-a...d=37932338

[Catherine]

This is really good news. Of course it would be Volvo who comes up with the idea. They have always been ahead in safety issues.
This should help save the lives of many animals and some people too.

I know someone who hit a moose and it rolled over his car and killed him. I believe the moose was fine.

We have the technology, why not apply it.

[Tobi]

Where I live, deer are the main large animal hazard on the roads, especially country lanes, but sometimes cows, sheep or calves escape from fields. That feature would be useful.
It would be great if it also detected smaller animals like cats, foxes and Badgers. So many Badgers are killed on the roads. There is one not far from my house right now.
I blame the drivers' speed and unfamiliarity with country lanes, as many a time a Badger has crossed in front of me, but I have had no problem avoiding it. Also, I expect them to cross at certain places after dusk.
And many a time I have stopped the car to let a scared rabbit or cat get its bearings, decide which hole in the hedge it is going to dash through, and go.

[Catherine]

If the technology can detect a large animal I am sure they can use it to detect smaller animals.  They just have to get people to want the new technology. We are slow to change. People still fight wearing seat belts.

Small animals do not do well when they encounter cars. It is sad how many animals die each year. Drivers do need to slow down and be more careful.

Actually the big animal technology might save a few pedestrians in Toronto. A lot of people get killed each year.

[Ruth]

I was thinking that they need to do it for small animals, too. There are always dead squirrels in the road where I live. Sometimes it's hard not to hit them because they often turn around in the middle of the road and try to go back where they came from. A squirrel ran right into my car many years ago on the freeway where I was going 50 mph. It was the speed limit they want us to go. I felt so bad!!

[Catherine]

When a squirrel runs into your car like that there is nothing you can do. They dart out and seem to hesitate. You can't begin to guess which way they are going to go.

Still the technology would cut down the number of animal car interactions. It would reduce the carnage and that is a good thing.

[Ruth]

This squirrel ran right into my car and it didn't hesitate. I was distraught after that for awhile.

[Catherine]

Sometimes things are not our fault. It still bothers us that it happened, but we couldn`t have stopped it. If not your car, it would have been someone else`s car.