Watchly Safety Review

Turtles or Snakes- Which do cars hit more? ROADKILL EXPERIMENT

Mark Rober

4:22 · 9.2M views · July 19, 2012

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Minor FlagsReviewed June 2026

4Minor Flags

2No Issues

This quirky roadkill experiment video is generally safe and even mildly educational for older kids, though it casually documents people intentionally running over fake animals, which some younger or sensitive children may find disturbing. On the positive side, the creator frames the whole thing as a genuine science experiment — forming a hypothesis, collecting data, and interpreting results — which models real scientific thinking in an entertaining way. The humor is light and the ending devolves into a fun Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joke, keeping the tone playful overall.

Content Breakdown · 6 Categories

Realistic Violence, Threats & WeaponsA little

While the video documents drivers intentionally running over rubber animal decoys, the context is a lighthearted scientific experiment with fake props — no real harm, threats, or weapons are present.

See evidence (2)

“Drivers intentionally swerving to hit rubber turtle/snake/tarantula decoys on the road shoulder”

“One person 'stops and throws rocks' at the rubber tarantula before running it over”

Bullying, Cruelty & DiscriminationNot present

The video makes one mild appearance-based assumption about a man ('I might have overestimated his love of the sciences' based on his appearance), but this is very brief and not a sustained attack on any group.

See evidence (1)

“'Now, I know this might be a bit surprising based off his appearance but in hindsight, I might have overestimated his love of the sciences'”

Parasocial & Emotional ManipulationNot present

A brief subscription call-to-action ('CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING') appears in the description, but the video itself contains no guilt-tripping, manufactured drama, or emotional dependency language.

See evidence (1)

“Description includes 'CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING' with a link”

Toxic Behavior ModelingA little

The video documents real drivers intentionally swerving to hit objects on a road, which could theoretically model reckless driving behavior, but the framing is clearly disapproving and the objects are rubber props — no glorification of harmful behavior occurs.

See evidence (2)

“Documents drivers intentionally hitting rubber animals, referring to them as 'cold-blooded rubber animal killers'”

“One person 'stops and throws rocks' at the tarantula — presented as negative behavior”

Low-Quality, Extreme & Stunt ContentA little

The video involves placing rubber animals on a road shoulder to observe driver behavior, which has a mild stunt quality, but it is framed as a genuine scientific experiment with data collection and hypothesis testing rather than shock-value content.

See evidence (1)

“Placing rubber animals on a road shoulder and recording driver reactions over ~1000 cars”

Playful & Fantasy ViolenceA little

The video includes playful references to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains Shredder, Bebop, and Rocksteady in a clearly comedic, cartoon-referencing context — stylized fantasy violence framing with no real-world harm.

See evidence (3)

“'Up to your old tricks again a shredder you crazy old coot It's time to let it go old friend'”

“References to 'Bebop and Rocksteady the classic blundering sidekicks' from TMNT”

“Comedic 'enhance algorithm' CSI parody sequence”

What Parents Need to Know

Parents should know this video documents a real-world experiment where rubber animals were placed on a road shoulder and the creator tracked how many drivers intentionally hit them. While no real animals are harmed, the video does show and discuss people deliberately swerving to run over fake turtles, snakes, and tarantulas — a behavior the creator frames as negative and somewhat shocking. On the educational side, the video genuinely teaches kids about the scientific method: forming a hypothesis, running a controlled experiment (the leaf as a control), collecting data, and revising conclusions based on evidence. The humor is mostly harmless and the Ninja Turtles joke at the end will likely delight kids who know the franchise. There's one mildly tense moment where a stranger walks off with the creator's prop snake, but it's handled with humor. The video is best suited for kids old enough to understand the science framing and not be upset by the concept of animals (even fake ones) being deliberately hit.

Talk to Your Kids About

1Why do you think some drivers swerved to hit the rubber animals on purpose? What does that tell us about how some people treat animals?
2The creator used a leaf as a 'control' in the experiment — can you explain why that was important for the science?
3The video showed that most drivers (94%) just drove past and did nothing. What would YOU do if you saw a real turtle or snake in the road?
4The creator had a hypothesis that turtles get hit more than snakes, but the data showed the opposite. Why is it important to change your mind when the evidence doesn't match what you expected?

Turtles or Snakes- Which do cars hit more? ROADKILL EXPERIMENT

Protected Viewing

What's This Video About?

I read a long time ago that people will swerve more to hit turtles over snakes... and as a firm believer in the scientific method, I decided to test this hypothesis. CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING: http://tinyurl.com/MarkRober-Sub FACEBOOK ME: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRoberYouTube FOLLOW ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/MarkRober HERE'S WHERE I GOT THE TURTLE AND SNAKE FROM: Turtle: http://www.veghead.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=436 Snake: http://www.veghead.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1682&osCsid=004bd28e273e040a5812e34f1fafe16a MUSIC: - Final Song by j.ournal - you should go sub his video poem channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNyMHEr5Wybaz5PiYu5NtA -"Interloper" from Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com -All other music and sound effects were purchased royalty free

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this video appropriate for?

We recommend this video for kids 8 and older. Younger children may be upset by the concept of drivers intentionally hitting animals (even rubber ones), while older kids are better equipped to understand the satirical and scientific framing.

Are any real animals harmed in this video?

No, the creator uses rubber prop animals — a turtle, a snake, and a tarantula. The video is clear about this, and no real animals are involved at any point.

Is there anything educational about this video?

Yes, the video is a genuine demonstration of the scientific method, including forming a hypothesis, designing a controlled experiment, collecting data, and revising conclusions. It's a fun, real-world example of how science works that could spark good conversations.

Is the content too violent or disturbing for kids?

The violence is very low-level — cars running over rubber toys — and the creator treats intentional hits as something negative and surprising. Sensitive younger children might still find the concept upsetting, which is why we suggest ages 8 and up.

Does the video model any bad behavior kids might copy?

The experiment itself is conducted safely on the road shoulder, not in traffic, and the creator doesn't encourage viewers to replicate it. The one slightly awkward moment involves a stranger taking the prop snake, which is handled humorously rather than aggressively.

Is there any inappropriate language or adult content?

There is no strong language, sexual content, or substance use in this video. The humor is family-friendly and the tone throughout is light and comedic, ending with a playful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reference.