Pajeros and cattle don't mix - OR - Make sure your lights are clean!!
In August 2005 while on a trip in the outback I was driving from Birdsville to Bedourie when, at about 19:30 a herd of catttle appeared in front of me. I braked but hit one fair and square in the guts! I have a "Smart Bar" plastic bull bar and they are designed to throw objects up and over rather than down and under so the beast rode up the bonnet and for a moment I thought it was coming through the windscreen. Fortunately it fell off and I rolled on into the night with all red lights on the dash blazing. Again, fortunately I wasn't hurt but both the beast and the Pajero died! I put the main cause down to a mud patch I'd gone through earlier which caked my headlight and spotlight covers with mud and reduced the effectiveness significantly. I now carry a rag and water and make sure I clean the lights any time I go through anything that will reduce their effectiveness. Also, don't drive at night in the bush and have a Shu Roo fitted to my new Paj although it doesn't work with cattle, unfortunately. Damage to the Paj was limited to the front and, even though the insurance company declared it a write off, I was very impressed with the way it took the impact. I must say that the Smart Bar was very efffective also and I recommend them to anyone who intends fitting a bull bar. They are light (I can pick up the whole bar assembly in one hand) and the cheapest on the market. I genuinely believe that had I not had the plastic bar the outcome would have been very different and I might not be writing this now.
