There is always the problem that maybe the car driver really DIDN'T see you - I have seen somewhere figures that reckon as many as ONE THIRD of UK drivers have uncorrected defective eyesight. To me it would seem criminally irresponsible to drive without my glasses on, but some people don't see it that way (pardon the pun). So, to add to my previous idea... When some one says "sorry mate I didn't see you" not only should that be a clear admission of "without due care and attention" for which they should be charged, it should also require an immediate eyesight test... Which if they fail, should result in a charge of "dangerous driving", or what the Americans would call "reckless endangerment"...
Absolutely. There have been a number of studies about how people see but don't see things around them. We prioritise information acording to perceived importance and stop processing extra information once our brain is saturated.
My old man is still driving - aged 87 - though fortunately not too far. This is alarming, as even if he can still do the Daily Torygraph crossword, he can't remember what he had for lunch, or what you said to him 5 minutes ago. His eyesight is better than ever - cataract operation - but his brain can no longer process information at the appropriate speed. Parents live in a village - without a car, they are doomed. The western world is full of those people. If you gave my father a driving test tomorrow, he wouldn't have a cat in hell's chance of passing it. Be afraid, be very afraid.
I do think the THINK! campaigns are a bit on the soft side - but they did at least use a Ducati in the main one but only seen on the TV a couple of times - how about something like this? "Vice Versa" TAC Motorcycle TV road safety campaign - YouTube
So have any of you asked your car driving workmates what they think about headlights/Hi Viz ? I asked mine, they thought the head light was the best idea as from the front the Hi Viz barely shows up I know from my personal riding and driving that the Hi Vis reflective strips show up really well from behind in low light/darkness with dipped head lights on bikers/cyclists at junctions and on approach from side/behind.
I'll bet they are, Instantly more alert and higher overall standard of driving perhaps? Not to mention obeying every posted speed limit whilst your about I'd guess :biggrin:
I've recentky started wearing a police style hi viz vest which fits well and doesn't flap about. I reckon cars on mway and dual carriageways move over quicker than they used to and I feel more visible. It may not make much difference but I like to minimise the risk. For the same reason I have a safety exhaust. I drive 40k in a car and hate seeing a bike with no light and black gear on. They are really hard to spot and I look for bikes. They have victim written all over them IMHO. Just to make it even harder, have you noticed how many cars have blackened windows at the front?
The other day I was test riding the new water cooled BMW 1200GS. It was pouring with rain, I had a hi viz jacket on and the bike has one of those new LED light strips on the front. Twice I had cars start to pull out while I was approaching fast in the outside lane and pull back in again. I was so amazed I waved 'thank yous' as I stormed past and told the wife about it when I got home. Must remember to wear hi viz in conditions which make it more difficult for car drivers to see than usual. Most of us, I expect, are also car drivers and will know what conditions they are. P.S. By the way the new GS is a great bike and is quite a lot better than the previous GSs which I didn't like. Pick up mine this Tuesday.
As has been proved over and over again - part of the problem with daytime headlight use is that whilst it makes a bike much more visible, it also makes judging its speed of approach much more dificult. This leads to the "sod it, its only a bike" sort of driver pulling out anyway, even if they have seen you, because they either don't realise how quickly you are approaching or just don't care anyway because they are inside their "safe" metal box. Personally I always ride with a headlight on - but I also expect every driver to pull out on me, and ride accordingly. And I would support and defend anyone else's right to not be forced to use a headlight in daylight, and to not wear day-glo / hi-viz kit if they don't want to...
The problem is made worse when hi beam is used. Junctions are dangerous places. There is an excellent section on junctions in Roadcraft which is worth studying. Approaching a side road with a car waiting to pull out and not varying your speed, weaving left and right, slowing down and being prepared to stop is playing Russian Roulette. There is a post on this thread about a rider going into a car's door at 50 mph whilst negotiating a roundabout. Whilst I fully accept that this may have been 100% the car drivers fault I have to question whether the rider was doing all they could have done to stay safe. This is not meant as personal criticism.
Which is not to say i am trying to be some 'holier than yeeoouu' to99er and trying to do some surreptitious 'impersonating'........ ......far from it. When i started wearing my hi vi jacket, which is a full one inc arms, it took me a while to interpret and understand some cars 'funny' behaviour. It twigged when i pulled up alongside a car, in traffic, and he rapidly dropped his mobile from his ear into his lap and profusely apologised through his window. I twigged then he thought i was BiB!!! Poor observation though, after all, my bike is blue and silver, and my helmet is mostly black, with some white slashes( ooh err Mrs), so its not like i really look like a police bike, but clearly it gives some drivers cause for pause. it an cause problems though, with some drivers almost panic react without thinking, so it can be counterproductive, when they do something they have not really thought about- you still have to keep your wits about you. ( secretly though, one can't resist a small smile when cars suddenly slow down and move over from the centre/fast lane as one approaches on the Mway)
come on think about its ok for BMW wankers who sit upright all the time then they could be see better than me with my head down and my arse up , mabe i could paint my arse yellow and the top of my head aswell , but it will not stop wankers in cars from pulling out on me because they are pissing around with the cd player or sending a text or just not fugin looking
I'll never forget one time I was crossing a road as a pedestrian. It was a sunny day but trees along the side of the road put parts of the carriageway into deep shadow. I saw a motorcyclist with his headlight on approaching me and so I paused, still on the pavement. The motorcycle came out of the deep shadow a few yards away from me - accompanied side-by-side by his mate on another bike, but with no headlight on. I never once saw the second bike until he had emerged from the shadow into the bright sunlight. I've never forgotten that.
i have found this in the past it is very hard to judge the speed of a bike with the lights on, i used to always have a white helmet as it show up well i poor light but after being knocked off twice with it on i thought fuck it whats the point car drivers are blind and do not use their mirrors
An interesting thread and reading it makes me realise this: There are two sorts of drivers: those who are looking out for you and those who aren't. For those who are, you can be safer if you are highly visible, and that is where the headlight and hi-vis gear comes into play. My view is that if you are already have your headlight on, and are wearing bright leathers, then in fairly good visibility, you will be seen by these people. I think that wearing fluo stuff is probably an adjunct at dusk, or in pouring rain or fog. Wearing all black with no headlight on is not doing you any favours. Those not paying attention aren't going to see you whatever you are wearing or doing, because they just aren't looking for you. It doesn't much matter for these people if you are dressed head to toe in dayglo - they are too busy thinking of other things to pay any attention. So maybe if you are on a regular commute that happens often in foul weather or at dusk/early morning, then hi-vis may help. I don't think it does much on your normal Sunday ride. I do think, though, that all-black rainsuits are pretty stupid. You already look like a bin-bag, and I would prefer a bin-bag that at least has some fluo on it, rather than the most discreet and invisible attire you can find.
