Viewers of a squeamish disposition might want to look away from this next story, which talks about the graphic part of moose strikes, a big danger faced by European drivers. This clip taken earlier this month shows exactly what happens when a car hits a fully grown moose at highway speeds.
These are some of the largest animals in Europe and the biggest of the deer family, standing up to 2.3m (7.5 feet) at the shoulder and weighing up to around 700 kg (1,600 lbs). During a collision with an automobile, a moose usually is struck in the legs, causing its body to roll onto the hood of the vehicle, often collapsing the windshield and roof. As a result, these crashes are capable of causing substantial injury to vehicle occupants.
Don't believe this is a real problem? Both Finland and Norway have about 120,000 moose each, but Sweden is worse off with some 400,000 heads. We've never been to the place, but rumor has it they even have a sort of 'roadkill stew'.
The car in the video, a first-generation BMW 1 Series, suffers damage to the front bumper, light and a shattered windshield. Fortunately for its occupants, the animal hits at an angle and has tall legs, so penetration of the passenger cell doesn't take place. We've seen crashes with horses where
Volvo is one of the first car companies to test its cars against elk/moose strikes. Notice how violet the impact is from inside the car.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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