Maybe this question should also request the responder’s general location, because I imagine the situations vary substantially.

I’ve lived in California for most of my life, and we go on frequent drives between LA and SF, usually a few times a year.

In the 80’s and 90’s bugs would cover the front of our vehicles and the windshield would be difficult to see through even with wipers and washer fluid. We’d actually have to stop to manually scrape them off.

In the 00’s and 10’s we noticed that we’d get basically zero bugs on a long drive, and that sparked many conversations about California environmental law.

I just got back from a drive up the coast and I can happily say that we’re back to insane numbers of bug strikes on the highway. Just north of Ventura I drove through a cloud of large bugs that hit like rocks and instantly covered almost my entire windshield. This situation has been noticably turning around since COVID, which I think is a good thing

This morning on my way to work. (Rural Ohio here.)

I’ll tell ya a better story. Years ago, my band at the time were on the road, heading to a show around Elkins, West Virginia. We were somewhere in the vicinity of St. Clairsville, OH, when at like 70mph, a giant locust flies in my drummer’s window. We thought it was a hummingbird at first, but the thing is panic-flying around, hitting us in the face, etc. I’m still amazed we didn’t wreck.

Daily

I’ve been wondering the same. It’s been years. I live in western Europe. Could be an example of evolution, insects that fly higher survive more often, or climate change, there’s fewer insects about.

It used to be a big issue, now the biggest issue is bird poop and lice excretions.

The front of my car is pretty splattered with bug remains.

Insect populations are affected by human urbanization.

In other words, the area you live in has become more developed over the last few decades and has become a poorer ecosystem for insects.

Last time I drove at highway speed: Thursday around 19:40

Every day, over and over and over… I have to keep actual glass cleaner in my car and spray the windshield occasionally—like at stop lights by sticking my arm out the window—because not even the “bug remover” windshield washer fluid works well enough. You need something strong like ammonia to loosen all the protein.

Note: I don’t live in a city.

UK here. It’s just not a thing any more. I regularly drive - or am a passenger - on a ~200 mile round trip and insect strikes just don’t happen.

That said, I recently drove from the North of England to the South of France. Almost as soon as we crossed the Channel we were instantly getting insects splattered on the windscreen to the point we had to refill buy some bright pink no-nonsense washer fluid at the next services. So I assume some counties are more responsible than others with their use of pesticides.

Few days ago. Went birding in a wetland conservation area. Tons of birds. Megatons of bugs.

Two days ago.

I drove for 8 hours today, I’d estimate I hit at least 200

Is there a word missing in that question?

I recently drove half a continent. Anyways, probably 10-20 years. Idk, I don’t really remember it happening much except maybe when I was a young child

You’ve activated my “thing”. No one seems to have noticed that the bottom of the ecosystem just fucking dropped out.

When I was a child, dad taught me to always clean the windshield when we stopped for gas, and sometimes in between. I have not done this in years, easily more than a decade.

We drive hundreds of miles of back country highway to pick up my kids. Talking the South here, mostly Alabama which is 77% wooded. Nada.

Screw it, I could tell stories for an hour, too depressing to go on.