Let's all collectively thank the glorious bit of technology that is Google Street View for letting the world know about the rare and mostly undocumented breakout of Elephantitis in Canada's deer population. Unlike the human form of the disease which is generally characterized by the swelling of a single body part, deer Elephantitis apparently morphs the hapless affected creatures into real-life elephants. If you're driving in the area, extra caution is advisable.
It seems that this street sign was spotted by a Google Street View camera car somewhere in Vancouver. We're not sure how it got there or if it's nothing more than a funny prank, but it is most definitely real. Oh, and for the record, the proper medical term is really Elephantiasis (thanks, Wikipedia!).
Roadkill is an ugly, smelly problem that can be expensive and flat-out dangerous for drivers. Outside of the occasional tall fence on the side of the road, there has been little to stop Bambi from chillin' in the middle of your local interstate. The state of Colorado is looking to change that with an ingenious new system that detects large animals on the freeway and warns drivers to be on alert. Colorado needs this technology, too, because up to 70% of its highway collisions involve animals. The system uses an underground cable that senses large animals, then triggers electronic signs that give drivers a heads-up to the upcoming danger. Colorado will be testing the system on US-160, and the state has deployed radar detectors to see if drivers slow down when they receive the warning. If the system works, you can expect that it will proliferate in areas with high amounts of collisions between automobile and animal.
After amassing a healthy lead over their competitors, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were able to play it cool for the second to last stage of the 2008 SnoDrift Rally last weekend. All was well as they made their way through the forest roads and fresh powder until one of God's creatures decided that now would be a good time to cross the ice-covered stage road. As the 2007 WRX STI careened down the road at over 60 mph, Bambi colliding with Pastrana's left front bumper, causing irreparable damage to the engine and ending the team's race as the Subaru coasted to a stop. We're not sure if it was Pastrana or Edstrom who let out the shriek just as the deer hit, but we've got to give them points for using far fewer expletives than we would've.
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