Roo whistles

[Diesel]

STella has these. 100,000 km ridden.  Never hit a roo. Watched 27,000 birds take off from road kill early enough to be of no concern. Do the math.
 

[Biggles]

There will always be the skeptics with their own maths.
I'm a believer.  I see all sorts of animals and birds heading away from me rather than continuing their course across mine. But I've only got 91,000 kays on Ruby.
There's always the chance a deaf one will come along.     

[alans1100]

I did have some of those fitted once but they fell off and I have never replaced them.

All I can say is that at night when I had them fitted they had no effect on cattle.

[Biggles]

I did have some of those fitted once but they fell off and I have never replaced them.

All I can say is that at night when I had them fitted they had no effect on cattle.

I think cattle have so much inertia you don't see their reaction because it's so slow.
Or maybe their frequency range is low, like their "mooo".

[StinkyPete]

My experience with cattle while travelling the Pilbra and the Kimberly is that they couldn't give a toss about the traffic and would not even look up from their grazing as we rode past.

Kangaroos, on the other hand, are a bunch of mentally defective and unpredictable airheads,  second only to that other Aussie icon, the Emu, who's reactions are controlled by a brain the size of a pea which is driving huge legs that work with almost no consultation with that weeny brain.    Why couldn't we have native animals that have evolved with road sense.  Goodness knows that we've killed enough on the road that natural selection should be coming into play.   

[alans1100]

Most times cattle that I have come across (areas round Port Hedland/ Karratha) are not really a drama but when calf and cow are on different sides of the road cow will get to calf quite quickly no matter who is the way. Sometimes they meet in the middle of the road which is ok of a day time but at night you might not see them until they're in range of your lights.

[ST2UP]

I'm a believer for the price  maybe not the $4.99 pair from Coles but the $24 pair from Supercheap.....these are the model that have the little key for removal and CLEANING......this is perhaps the reason many will knock the sonic repellers as they set and forget and never clean them.

A whistle cannot be a whistle if its full of bugs and crap 

Have them on the bike and so far so good  and have had them on all cars for last 10 years......this car had them for 75,000 k's and hit 3 roo's but could have been countless more without them.......for the sake of $20 we will keep using them 

 

[HunterTodd]

My experience with cattle while travelling the Pilbra and the Kimberly is that they couldn't give a toss about the traffic and would not even look up from their grazing as we rode past.

Kangaroos, on the other hand, are a bunch of mentally defective and unpredictable airheads,  second only to that other Aussie icon, the Emu, who's reactions are controlled by a brain the size of a pea which is driving huge legs that work with almost no consultation with that weeny brain.    Why couldn't we have native animals that have evolved with road sense.  Goodness knows that we've killed enough on the road that natural selection should be coming into play.   

Your assessment of the mental capabilities of kangaroos and emus tallies with mine. They are profoundly stupid animals. The ducks are smarter than the roos around here. They seem to know the safest direction to head is off the road not right in front of that big metal thing bearing down on them at 100 kays.

[Totgas]

I counter your stats with mine. 100,000kms - no roo strikes - no whistles.

Although that might be due to the 90% of that distance was covered from home into the CBD and back - I'm not sure.     

[tj189]

I use and will continue to use roo whistles.  Here is a bit of research that the ANU did, the link quoted does no exist anymore.

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/department/bi/birjt/marsupialcrc/actkanga3/krep3chpt2.html

Auditory deterrents

76.In the context of kangaroo management, ultrasonic deterrent devices have been the subject of a number of public claims regarding efficacy. Models currently being promoted may be fixed to a vehicle or used as a fixed barrier. Whilst these products are promoted from time to time, there remains a lack of scientific evidence of their effectiveness, despite Bomford and O'Brien (1990) outlining design requirements for effective testing.

77.Research at the Australian National University found that Eastern Grey Kangaroos can hear between 2.5 and 30 kHz but hear best between 2.5 and 12 kHz (Guppy 1985), which is well within the range detectable by humans. Further work at the University of Melbourne has found that the signal of one ultrasonic product being promoted as a kangaroo deterrent has a frequency range of 15 to 23 kHz, and can be heard by kangaroos up to a maximum of 50 m from the device. This is above the best hearing range of Eastern Grey Kangaroos although audible to humans (1 to 20 kHz). Ultrasonic frequencies begin at 20 kHz and go upwards, which means that the device has a very small component of desirable ultrasonics (Bender, pers. comm.). Behavioural observations of captive Eastern Grey Kangaroos in response to the signal produced by this ultrasonic device found that the kangaroo's behaviour was not significantly affected. It did not elicit any alert or flight response when activated. In addition, it was found that there was not a significant decrease in the usage of open grassy areas by free-ranging kangaroos at sites where the device was active (Bender, pers. comm.).

78.The work conducted by Bender implies that ultrasonic devices will not be effective deterrents as they operate outside the best hearing range of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. If the kangaroos did respond to the device, additional questions would need to be answered. In particular, is the response sufficient to change behaviour permanently, or will the kangaroos habituate to the device?

[Bluey]

I would reckon it would only have to work once for it to have paid for itself a thousand times over. If it doesn't work, you've only burnt a couple of dollars.

I think there is a danger of developing a reliance on a device like this, when its effectiveness is not clear. Surely, the real way to deal with the roo problem is to modify your riding behaviour to suit the conditions.

Many of us will have a favourite pair of socks, or special key-ring, or another form of "talisman" to ensure our safety. Roo whistles might be in that category. Doesn't mean they shouldn't be used.

(I have to admit having had an incident with a couple of roos .... and a domestic pig. All in cars, not on bikes. I hit a hare on a CB350 many moons ago and curled the crash bars around the motor.)

I use my sense of smell to help know if there is an increased risk of roo strike. I seem to be able to smell rotting meat at a fairly long range. It's a clue anyway.

[Dick B "Yewie"]

They (I have three fitted) didn't stop four roos from bounding straight out in front of us. We hit the last one low on the front wheel at about 100k's barely staying upright and bending our front forks in the process. I am definitely now in the non-believer camp.
 

[Pezzz]

I have four on the bike and on the Border Run saw about 6 roos. One of which came up onto the road to run with me.

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[Brock]

Roo whistles are excellent at repelling Lions and Elephants, thats about it

[Pezzz]

Unicorns too. ... I have never seen a unicorn when riding with roo whistles on.

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[Streak]

Unicorns too. ... I have never seen a unicorn when riding with roo whistles on.

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well for $6.00 i am going to put them on, even if they in my head make me feel a little safer it can only be a good thing 

[Tipsy]

Kangaroos, on the other hand, are a bunch of mentally defective and unpredictable airheads,  second only to that other Aussie icon, the Emu, who's reactions are controlled by a brain the size of a pea which is driving huge legs that work with almost no consultation with that weeny brain.    Why couldn't we have native animals that have evolved with road sense.  Goodness knows that we've killed enough on the road that natural selection should be coming into play.   

It really sounds like your description of these poor dumb animals is exactly like the description one would give of the other 2 legged animal that inhabits a certain building in Canberra.

Tipsy

[StinkyPete]

Kangaroos, on the other hand, are a bunch of mentally defective and unpredictable airheads,  second only to that other Aussie icon, the Emu, who's reactions are controlled by a brain the size of a pea which is driving huge legs that work with almost no consultation with that weeny brain.    Why couldn't we have native animals that have evolved with road sense.  Goodness knows that we've killed enough on the road that natural selection should be coming into play.   

It really sounds like your description of these poor dumb animals is exactly like the description one would give of the other 2 legged animal that inhabits a certain building in Canberra.

Tipsy

   Good observation   

[STroppy]

Roo whistles are excellent at repelling Lions and Elephants, thats about it

Confetti works for Elephants too! 

[Nigel]

Are the Skeptics, ask many an Interstate Truckie and they will tell you that they do more good than bad. Must realize that there are no guarantees in life, so any thing that does work ( perhaps not for the unlucky ) is a bonus. And back on topic! .............................................................................

[tj189]

well for $6.00 i am going to put them on, even if they in my head make me feel a little safer it can only be a good thing 

My feelings exactly   

[STroppy]

Yep, have them on my bikes n cars as well . . . . Small price to pay to hedge against the local wildlife . . .

[Biggles]

Here's some interesting news:

"Volvo is a step closer to technology that can spot a kangaroo and slam on the brakes to avoid impact - and is already testing in Australia.
The latest Volvos can brake automatically to avoid rear-ending the vehicle in front, and spot pedestrians and cyclists day or night, but it has now turned its attention to animals. Volvo safety engineers say they are starting with big, slow-moving animals but detecting - and then avoiding - a jumping kangaroo is "not impossible".
Volvo has sent two engineers to Australia in the past 12 months to study the road-side behaviour of kangaroos, and filmed hours of footage to take back to Sweden where the software being developed."

I say all the best with developing a program that can predict kangaroo behaviour, but we can hope that in the techie future a device will be developed that will give a warning to a rider that roos and other livestock are on or near the road.

[tj189]

Here's some interesting news:

I say all the best with developing a program that can predict kangaroo behaviour, but we can hope that in the techie future a device will be developed that will give a warning to a rider that roos and other livestock are on or near the road.

Here you go
http://www.midnightrider.info/
The latest version of the camera actually highlights using a yellow line box.  These can be purchased in Australia.
......and I still use roo whistles as well