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I know anecdote is not data, but I’ve been driving through rural California for decades. I definitely noticed that in the last few years I have significantly le

I know anecdote is not data, but I’ve been driving through rural California for decades. I definitely noticed that in the last few years I have significantly less insects caking my windshield after a long drive than I did ten years ago. This could be explained by changes to windshield design, changes to car lights, and changes to the land adjacent to highways.

oh_sigh 6y ago
Or the insects are learning...
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
Denser bits of the air, like insects, will have a much harder time abruptly changing direction so vehicles with worse aerodynamics tend to pick up insects for the same reasons that water trap style air filters work. While windshield angles haven't changed much over the years car front ends tend to get much more aerodynamic treatment than even 20yr ago.
- robocat 6y ago
  I’m not sure about windscreens, but research disagrees overall with your point: “The research included vintage cars up to 70 years old to see if their less aerodynamic shape meant they killed more bugs, but it found that modern cars actually hit slightly more insects.” From https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/car-splatometer-tests-reveal-huge-decline-number-insects https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/car-spla...
  - viraptor 6y ago
    This makes sense to me. A flat box design will push a thicker pillow of air in front of it than an angled surface. I wouldn't expect it to matter for a bumblebee for example, but would think the small mosquitoes get pushed away more easily with airflow.
mrlonglong 6y ago
Indeed, this has been my experience in the 1990s, in the UK I would be regularly cleaning dead squished bugs off the front of my car at the time. I very rarely see any of that nowadays. Maybe they have evolved ...
hashmush 6y ago
This was linked in a comment some days ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windshield_phenomenon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windshield_phenomenon

oh_sigh 6y ago

Or the insects are learning...

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

Denser bits of the air, like insects, will have a much harder time abruptly changing direction so vehicles with worse aerodynamics tend to pick up insects for the same reasons that water trap style air filters work. While windshield angles haven't changed much over the years car front ends tend to get much more aerodynamic treatment than even 20yr ago.

robocat 6y ago
I’m not sure about windscreens, but research disagrees overall with your point: “The research included vintage cars up to 70 years old to see if their less aerodynamic shape meant they killed more bugs, but it found that modern cars actually hit slightly more insects.” From https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/car-splatometer-tests-reveal-huge-decline-number-insects https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/car-spla...
- viraptor 6y ago
  This makes sense to me. A flat box design will push a thicker pillow of air in front of it than an angled surface. I wouldn't expect it to matter for a bumblebee for example, but would think the small mosquitoes get pushed away more easily with airflow.

mrlonglong 6y ago

Indeed, this has been my experience in the 1990s, in the UK I would be regularly cleaning dead squished bugs off the front of my car at the time. I very rarely see any of that nowadays. Maybe they have evolved ...

hashmush 6y ago

This was linked in a comment some days ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windshield_phenomenon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windshield_phenomenon