Tonight I was driving home from D.C. on 97 north. The road splits a thick forest, winding past gaps and ditches, over bridges and up hills. During the day, I usually speed by; Maryland forests are pretty boring, unless you're walking in one. I have never driven there at night, however; and, although it still wasn't visually impressive, what with the darkness and all (I could only see about ten feet in front of me, and not at all on the sides), when I saw a 40mph limit sign, I decided to go 30 instead. Lot of deer around here, I thought. Within ten seconds of slowing, a deer appeared in my headlights and slowly ambled across the road. If I had been going 40, she would have died.