Closest call yet

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
I took the toll road to bypass santiago, on my way from the NC to SD, yesterday.

It was around 0430 in the morning, traffic was light, very light, so i was driving a bit too fast.
That toll road is in very good condition, but very, very dark.
I was in the left hand lane, and there was a dahistsu (?) truck thingy ( the ones that you see full of construction stuff or bananas, all over the place ) in the right hand lane.
At the exact moment i was passing him, there was a darker spot in the middle of the dark road. Like right in the middle, on the white line.
A big fat and confused cow....:eek::eek::eek:
There was no way i could have stopped...... i must have been cruising along at 140km/h.
By some sort of miracle i just fitted through...... the cow on one side and the concrere barrier on the other ( the divider is not a steel barrier, but a concrete one )........ and there was the big " wooompf" of the air kind of sound you get as you barely miss something.

I have had multiple encounters with dogs, donkeys, cows, etc in the dr, but mainly on country roads, where you drive at a much slower pace ( making it easier to avoid them, or stop alltogother ).

First reaction was to let out at string of swear words, in french.
Sencond reaction was to thank my good star.


Drive safely !!
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
They warn about that on the toll road.... night animals

Happens everywhere....

Nice miss malko

Yeah for sure, i guess i just felt " safer" as it is a new motorway and it is paying ( 100 pesos ). My mistake.
The real issue was the darkness..... 0 lights, no catseyes...... or i would/could have seen the cow before the last moment...... it just sort of materialised 15 meters im front of me :(
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,713
7,974
113
I took the toll road to bypass santiago, on my way from the NC to SD, yesterday.

It was around 0430 in the morning, traffic was light, very light, so i was driving a bit too fast.
That toll road is in very good condition, but very, very dark.
I was in the left hand lane, and there was a dahistsu (?) truck thingy ( the ones that you see full of construction stuff or bananas, all over the place ) in the right hand lane.
At the exact moment i was passing him, there was a darker spot in the middle of the dark road. Like right in the middle, on the white line.
A big fat and confused cow....:eek::eek::eek:
There was no way i could have stopped...... i must have been cruising along at 140km/h.
By some sort of miracle i just fitted through...... the cow on one side and the concrere barrier on the other ( the divider is not a steel barrier, but a concrete one )........ and there was the big " wooompf" of the air kind of sound you get as you barely miss something.

I have had multiple encounters with dogs, donkeys, cows, etc in the dr, but mainly on country roads, where you drive at a much slower pace ( making it easier to avoid them, or stop alltogother ).

First reaction was to let out at string of swear words, in french.
Sencond reaction was to thank my good star.


Drive safely !!

Careful, you don't want to end up a statistic on a DR1 dead pool :cheeky:
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
1,358
113
elizabetheames.blogspot.com
One of my Dominican friends actually hit and killed a cow on the way from LT to SD in the wee hours of the AM. Turned out that somehow he had to pay for the cow. Don't know how it actually came about- that the owner of the cow found him, etc.. But evidently that is the law in the DR-- not only do you run the risk of being killed by the cow... but if you kill the cow, you have to pay for it. And none of the cows carry liability insurance.
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
Loose cows should be rounded up and slaughtered by the govt and given to the poor, churches etc. The owners should be held accountable.

A simple problem to solve at very little cost that saves lives and limbs.

If you dont own land and barb wire dont own cows.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
One of my Dominican friends actually hit and killed a cow on the way from LT to SD in the wee hours of the AM. Turned out that somehow he had to pay for the cow. Don't know how it actually came about- that the owner of the cow found him, etc.. But evidently that is the law in the DR-- not only do you run the risk of being killed by the cow... but if you kill the cow, you have to pay for it. And none of the cows carry liability insurance.

Mmmh i heard it was the other way round : animal owner is responsible. Couldnt swear to it though.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
maybe check before you hit the next cow? my friend was pretty savvy about the law there...

http://www.dr-dominicanrepublic.com/when-the-cows-come-home/

I need to research it properely though.

I do know of 2 cases where the animal owner was held responsible.
1 where the owner of a dog was held responsible, a motorcycle ( a friend of mine ) hit the dog on the road. Thankfully the dog was "known", so the owner paid for damages.
Another , where my BIL was driving MIL to POP in SIL jeepeta, hit a cow...... owner of the cow coughed up repairs for jeepeta.

Its a small blessing to hit a cow as they have a marker, to identify the owner....compared to say a donkey or a dog, as it will be hard to find the owner, he will just say it wasnt his.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
As a general rule of physics, at speeds of 100 km/h or more, even if you slam on the brakes the instant an obstacle is illuminated by your headlights, you will not have enough time/distance to stop so the only response you have is steering to avoid while hoping that you can pull off that maneuver without compounding the problem.
 

slowmo

Well-known member
Aug 1, 2016
1,008
666
113
I would assume the fault would determined by the who had the most drag with the authorities.... you or the cow.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
In the DR always expect the unexpected and always give yourself an "out."

One rule I preach to our MG guests: if you cannot stop in what you can see, you are going too fast.
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
1,358
113
elizabetheames.blogspot.com
http://www.dr-dominicanrepublic.com/when-the-cows-come-home/

I need to research it properely though.

I do know of 2 cases where the animal owner was held responsible.
1 where the owner of a dog was held responsible, a motorcycle ( a friend of mine ) hit the dog on the road. Thankfully the dog was "known", so the owner paid for damages.
Another , where my BIL was driving MIL to POP in SIL jeepeta, hit a cow...... owner of the cow coughed up repairs for jeepeta.

Its a small blessing to hit a cow as they have a marker, to identify the owner....compared to say a donkey or a dog, as it will be hard to find the owner, he will just say it wasnt his.


it is rainy day here -- so

https://dgii.gov.do/ciudadania/vehiculosMotor/legislacion/Documents/63-17.pdf

it appears to be 50/50

"...Todo el que conduzca un vehículo de motor por la vía pública al acercarse a cualquier y para garantizar la seguridad de las personas, si hubiere alguna, a cargo de los mismos, y si fuere necesario, , que los animales hayan pasado.
3. Los dueños o encargados de animales no permitirán que los mismos caminen sueltos, o queden al cuidado de niños menores de catorce (14) años de edad, pasten o sean amarrados a las orillas de las vías públicas o en cualquier otra parte de una servidumbre de paso.
4. La violación a esta disposición será sancionada con una multa equivalente a medio salario mínimo del que impere en el sector público centralizado..."
 

Timotero

Bronze
Feb 25, 2011
689
29
48
As a general rule of physics, at speeds of 100 km/h or more, even if you slam on the brakes the instant an obstacle is illuminated by your headlights, you will not have enough time/distance to stop so the only response you have is steering to avoid while hoping that you can pull off that maneuver without compounding the problem.


I constantly remind folks here.....”Don’t drive faster than your headlights!”
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
... and still an open road and the knowledge that there will be no police interceptor is a temptation that many cannot resist. One of the reasons that driving here is so dangerous - driver complacency.
 

Dr_Taylor

New member
Oct 18, 2017
351
2
0
At the exact moment i was passing him, there was a darker spot in the middle of the dark road. Like right in the middle, on the white line.
A big fat and confused cow....:eek::eek::eek:
There was no way i could have stopped...... i must have been cruising along at 140km/h.
I am very glad that you are safe and did not hit anything. I learned very early in my DR history to take it easy on the highways, especially at night and in the rain. I tend to drive at or below the posted speed, having once approached a large produce truck that lacked lights, bumpers, and reflective tape.
 

Dr_Taylor

New member
Oct 18, 2017
351
2
0
One of my Dominican friends actually hit and killed a cow on the way from LT to SD in the wee hours of the AM. Turned out that somehow he had to pay for the cow. Don't know how it actually came about- that the owner of the cow found him, etc.. But evidently that is the law in the DR-- not only do you run the risk of being killed by the cow... but if you kill the cow, you have to pay for it. And none of the cows carry liability insurance.
Yes, the DR takes the "last clear chance" doctrine in tort law very seriously. :paranoid:
 

Dr_Taylor

New member
Oct 18, 2017
351
2
0
As a general rule of physics, at speeds of 100 km/h or more, even if you slam on the brakes the instant an obstacle is illuminated by your headlights, you will not have enough time/distance to stop so the only response you have is steering to avoid while hoping that you can pull off that maneuver without compounding the problem.
Agreed. If you are in barrios like El Almirante in Santo Domingo Este, then reduce the speed to 10 km/h. You do not want to hit someone's cow, or offspring, there. :paranoid: