Herd That's Going to Hurt!
Several weeks ago on Highway 18, a mini-Cooper encountered two cows in the middle of the road after a wide curve, during the day, moving at 65 miles per hour. Neither of the cows survived or the car, but thank goodness the driver walked away from the accident with only a few scratches.
It's nerve-wracking enough to carefully watch the sides of the roads for wildlife, like mountain lions, deer, foxes, coyotes, roadrunners, rabbits, crossing to avoid collisions but black cows are not visible at night until much closer and they are slow to react and are akin to brick walls. One evening, a herd was in the back yard, we heard them but didn't see them.
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The law is outdated, archaic and in my opinion, a lazy man's way of cattle ranching. Fence them in for theirs and the public's safety! Hit a bull or a cow in a vehicle and not only will the driver pay for that animal but also future, projected generations of that animal's lineage. It's true!
Open Range Law needs updating due to the inherent dangers that are posed by cattle roaming, at will, on two lane hiways and back roads. Traffic has dramatically increased and so have speed limits since this law was implemented back at the turn of the century. Not only are the people driving trucks and cars at risk, but so are motorcyclists and bicyclists.
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It isn't always enough to flash the head lights at night so others are aware of a serious, potentially life or death situation further ahead either. Some motorists are just blinded and return the favor with their high beams thinking a cop is ahead, rather than bovine slowly crossing the road at a leisurely pace.
Again, the Open Range Law needs to be changed for public safety in my opinion. There are no more one lane roads or steam engines on roadways, byways and highways! Does your state have open range laws in place and what are your thoughts?
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