[JimmyD]

In the past week and a half I have killed either 8 or 9 birds all on separate occasions, and dozens of close calls. Granted I have driven more than usual the last two weeks, but that is more birds than I have killed in 13 years of driving up to this point. And I've driven to both coasts multiple times, and north and south.

I should say that this was about 2,000 miles of 98% highway and lesser roads driving. 6 or 7 were killed on highways and two were on gravel roads. All of them pigeon size or smaller, but I did have to come to two complete stops for turkey vultures.

All but one impact was at the grill level or lower, and one hit the hood and bounced over the car. Luckily none were caught in the grill, the car seems effective at pushing them down or off to the side.

I've killed two others in my neighborhood in the last month.

So I guess my question is, is this normal? Is this car quieter (even on gas), or less noticeable? Is the ACC radar scrambling their brains from reacting properly? It's a little disconcerting to be killing so many birds. Has anyone else noticed an increase in bird kills compared to other cars?

 

[Loboc]

I used to kill a fair amount with my '70 'Vette. It looked like they just couldn't see it. Or maybe mis-judged the speed differential. It was a convertible and most of them hit the windshield for some odd reason.

I only killed one with the Volt, but, I did have more close calls than other cars.

 

[El Dobro]

I've had squirrels wait 'til I was practically on top of them before they run out and try to commit suicide, but no birds, yet.

 

[llninja]

I've had squirrels wait 'til I was practically on top of them before they run out and try to commit suicide, but no birds, yet.

I don't think the squirrels hear me coming as they do with a regular vehicle. I've even seen squirrels in the middle of the road facing away from me that bolt at the last possible moment when I honk the pedestrian horn.

I have lots of bird close calls, and several kills, but lost track.

Question to the OP, what color is your car? Mine is a white diamond tricoat which seems to be invisible to many, not just birds. I've had plenty of close calls at intersections where people just don't see me or drive through red lights.

 

[Louisiana]

I have a white 2015 Volt with about 30k miles. No bird kills yet and we have a lot of birds in this area.

 

[JimmyD]

Question to the OP, what color is your car? Mine is a white diamond tricoat which seems to be invisible to many, not just birds. I've had plenty of close calls at intersections where people just don't see me or drive through red lights.

Mine is Heather Gray (dark gray) and now that you mention it I have had more close calls with squirrels than my previous car also.

 

[Insight Refugee]

I tend to doubt that it's a noise, or lack thereof, issue. The tires make plenty of noise to warn critters to get out of the way. Other than bugs, I have not hit any fauna with my Volt in about 12,000 miles of use.

 

[rhodomel]

My red Volt didn't have any close calls and we're surrounded by pigeons. The squirrels however, can't seem to notice me, ran over squirrels more than I can count. My friend who has a blue Spark EV also have no bird incidents, only squirrels.

 

[Random]

2017 Red - no birds or squirrels (lots around). maybe it is a color thing.

 

[El Dobro]

Daredevil squirrels,

 

[jcanoe]

I've started to see young squirrels caught crossing the street that are too inexperienced to know how to dodge moving vehicles. Also, maybe the hot weather is affecting the squirrels and the birds, dulling their senses and reaction times.

 

[Dutch]

the neighborhood cats are suicidal around my Volt. I too think that they don't recognize the sound as a car.

 

[obermd]

The pterodactyls in my neighborhood have figured out my Volt is a car. ;(

 

[jcanoe]

The pterodactyls in my neighborhood have figured out my Volt is a car. ;(

A tradition in born.

 

[tjncooke]

Just in the past week I've noticed an increase in the close calls and potential bird deaths I've been causing. Interesting to find this thread started just as I'm seeing this increase. I've had my 2016 Kinetic Blue since last February.

 

[Jernigan]

Not so much birds. But definitely squirrels. My other ride is a Silver 2007 Nissan Frontier Nismo, so there may be something to the silver or light colors for birds since I have more in the truck. The squirrels are equally suicidal. The big differences are dear which keeps me always on alert and prepared. Twice I have driven up to some that are grazing by the road and don't freak with the Volt, but the Nismo spooks them. Another oddity is the car chasing dog is not interested in the Volt like she is with an ICE. I had a recent near miss with a bear but he was going about 30 MPH across the road and doubt my Volt lured him. I also get to see more foxes than I did in an ICE, but they scamper away quick. Merlin Perkins would have Jim use a Volt in our hood for sure.

 

[llninja]

Not so much birds. But definitely squirrels. My other ride is a Silver 2007 Nissan Frontier Nismo, so there may be something to the silver or light colors for birds since I have more in the truck. The squirrels are equally suicidal. The big differences are dear which keeps me always on alert and prepared. Twice I have driven up to some that are grazing by the road and don't freak with the Volt, but the Nismo spooks them. Another oddity is the car chasing dog is not interested in the Volt like she is with an ICE. I had a recent near miss with a bear but he was going about 30 MPH across the road and doubt my Volt lured him. I also get to see more foxes than I did in an ICE, but they scamper away quick. Merlin Perkins would have Jim use a Volt in our hood for sure.

My son had an adventure with a deer in my volt once. My pocketbook became $3600 poorer, but I learned a life lesson... don't make an insurance claim unless you don't have the money to fix it yourself. It's required for the liability. Any small fender bender where I have the cash, I'm not making any claims as they seem to really shaft you after a few claims.

 

[El Dobro]

Should send some Volts over to the Big Apple to weed out the flying rats.

 

[Sean Nelson]

...Any small fender bender where I have the cash, I'm not making any claims as they seem to really shaft you after a few claims.

A "few claims"? I agree that they should give you the benefit of the doubt on your first claim or maybe even two. But if you keep making claims then of course they're going to start assuming that you're a higher risk for whatever reason.

 

[llninja]

Over the last 10 years

1. High wind took apart a trampoline and flung it at the CTS scratched
2. Wife had a fender bender in a parking lot with a lady who came blasting by at high speed, my wife got the ticket
3. Daughter totalled her roommates car
4. Stop sign materialized out of nowhere, did a number on the volt hood, roof, passenger side
5. Son encountered a Kamikaze deer
6. Rental car in Boston had the drivers side mirror torn off of it by some crazy driver going too fast on narrow streets (the good news is his or her mirror cap was also left at the scene of the crime)
7. Lots of miscellaneous flying debris doing damage to the paint.
8. RV shreds a tire in front of my wife's CTS, took out her antenna and scratched up the roof and the front air dam

After 1 thru 4, I've paid for 5 thru 7 out of pocket to avoid raising my rates. #8 was covered by the RV driver's insurance, but it still showed up in the insurance company's records as a claim that contributed to having lots of claims.

Back to my lesson learned, I'm never making a claim for the small stuff, only the major items that I can't afford to pay out of pocket. Same goes with homeowners insurance. I've even raised my deductibles to obscenely high numbers