I heard on the news last night that 39.1 million Americans took to the road for this last holiday weekend travel.

Now I am sure this is an estimate but still, that is a big number.

So naturally, hearing that, I began to wonder what effect that travel had on the environment. I tried googling the question. The responses were all over the map.

There were theories, estimates, speculations, and a few basic observations. I won't try to summarize them here. The fact is, no one knows.

One thing struck me as I scrolled through sixty thousand-plus responses.

No one was addressing the windshield factor. (That would be a windscreen for those of you across the pond).

From personal experience, I know that I cannot drive to the supermarket without getting a couple of bug splats on my windshield. Now I concede this could be a regional thing. In some areas of the country you might get away with only one, or, if you live in Florida, you could get ten. And this is in just a short trip.

Imagine all those cars out on the highways, driving perhaps hundreds of miles, over three or four days and you can probably see where I am going with this.

I figure an average of ten splats per car is pretty conservative. And ten makes it easier to do the math. That would mean roughly three hundred and ninety million bugs lost their lives this holiday weekend.

There is only one conclusion that I draw from this.

We need more three day holidays.