Animals sheltering in car engine compartments are a traffic hazard
Animals sheltering in car engine compartments are a traffic hazard
2026-07-10
A driver in Taichung was startled by two small animals dropping out of the car in front of him in succession. On closer inspection, he realized they were kittens, and they were on a busy road. Car repair experts say that it’s not uncommon for cats to hide in car engine compartments, especially in winter, where it’s warm and there’s shelter from the rain. They suggest tapping on the hood a few times before driving to check for any small animals. Failing to do so risks injuring the animal or causing a rear-end collision if they dart into traffic later. Let’s find out more.
A driver screams because a kitten darted out onto the road and he nearly ran over it.
How did a kitten suddenly appear on the road? It seemed to have fallen out of the sedan in front of it, and just as the driver was wondering what was going on, another thing happened.
Another kitten fell out of the sedan and rolled to the ground, seemingly injured and panicked, and then fleeing in terror. Within a mere 300m, two kittens dropped out of the car in succession. The driver of the following car believed that the kittens might have been hiding in the engine compartment, and the vibrations caused by starting the vehicle led to their fall.
Member of the public
Reacting to incident
If a creature suddenly dropped out, I would probably slam on the brakes immediately; anyone would be terrified.
Member of the public
Reacting to incident
If you have time, you’ll check your rearview mirror. But it’s actually quite difficult if you’re driving fast.
If the car brakes too late, it could run over the cat; sudden braking could also result in a rear-end collision. An auto repair specialist says it’s not uncommon for cats to hide in engine compartments.
Lin I-hsun
Repair shop operator
The openings are all quite large, making it easy to crawl through from underneath. They’re warm in winter, and if it rains, they provide shelter from the wind and rain. Before starting the engine, I’d suggest honking the horn slightly or tapping the hood to scare them away.
Police officers often help cats that have been hiding in the engine compartments escape when they are on duty. Before driving next time, drivers can tap the hood to startle any small animals that may be there and ensure safety.
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#roadsafety #petmanagement #Taichung #cutecats #kitties
喵星人躲引擎避暑? 台中車主不知情 邊開車邊掉貓
2026-07-10
台中有駕駛開車在路上，發現前方車輛，不斷有小動物掉下來，仔細看竟然是小奶貓，短短300公尺就掉了兩隻，擔心車上還有貓，後車駕駛按喇叭提醒前車，可不可以靠邊停車檢查一下。其實，貓躲在車輛引擎室內取暖，時有所聞，汽車修配專家建議，開車前不妨先拍幾下引擎蓋，確認有無小動物躲著。
駕駛尖叫，因為馬路上有貓竄出來，差點就壓到。
喵星人怎麼突然出現在路上啊? 疑似從前方轎車掉了出來，而就在駕駛一陣狐疑時，狀況又來了
又一隻貓從車上掉出來，從車上滾落地面，感覺已經受傷了驚慌失措，嚇到急逃。短短300公尺，兩隻貓接連從車內滾下來，後車駕駛認為，可能是貓咪躲在引擎室內，車輛發動後，一路震動，摔落地面。
[[民眾]]
“突然有個生物掉下來，我可能會馬上踩煞車，一般人真的會嚇到”
[[民眾]]
“如果當下你來得及，會看一下後視鏡啦，其實如果車速快蠻難的”
萬一煞車不及恐怕就會輾壓過去，急煞也可能被後車追撞。修配廠說，貓躲在引擎室內，並非罕見。
[[修配廠業者 林毅勳]]
“這個都很大啊，從下面鑽上來很好鑽啊，冬天溫暖，如果有下雨的話，裡面又可以遮風避雨。我們發動之前，我會建議可能喇叭稍微按一下，或者引擎蓋拍一下，可以把牠們驚嚇逃走”
員警出任務，也常常幫助躲在引擎室裡的喵星人脫困，下回開車前，駕駛可以拍拍引擎蓋，驚動一下可能出現的小動物，確保安全。
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