OT: Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study

[steve abella]

Interesting reading for the men in black

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/328/7444/857

They seem to increase risk of accidents substantially

[Rattus]

Cool study. Glad I have a yellow helmet!

[jgrm1]

Duh. I wonder how much that study cost.

-Jeff

[steve abella]

not for the loud potato potato bikes

[Don Ro]

Intended to serve the special needs of the urban and bad-weather commuter and others who value visibility and recognition for safety purposes, Aerostich Roadcrafters and Darien Jackets are now available in Hi-Viz Lime Yellow (Fed. Spec. #595-13671). This garment option will assure that the rider is highly conspicuous in traffic-dense, overcast, or low light environments. Developed for use in municipal safety applications, it was found that fire trucks this color were 300% less likely to be involved in accidents. Hi-Viz Lime Yellow ‘jumps out’ on a primal level because it is not naturally occurring, and because the human eye is most sensitive to light in this part of the spectrum. (The eye is least receptive to red & black.) The brightest color possible under visible light, Hi-Viz Lime Yellow is more effective than fluorescent colors which, because of their chemical makeup are dependent on the uv radiation in sunlight to ‘glow’, making them less effective at night and in vehicle headlights. The piercing Hi-Viz Lime Yellow carries plenty of visual ‘punch’ even under incandescent and low-light conditions. The well-known Hurt report contains data indicating that most drivers colliding with motorcyclists list “not seeing the rider” as a primary cause of car/motorcycle accidents. As another weapon in the arsenal of the urban commuter, these garments are unmatched. (Photographs and printed images may not fully show the visual impact of Hi-Viz Lime Yellow.)
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[Sman]

That's funny a school in England did the same thing using tests and real life studies and found that it made no difference what color the rider was wearing.

[ryker77]

I love my flashing headlight. Cars always --- so far-- wait until I pass before pulling out.

I wrecked my Buell S1-W because I wan't seen. The bike was just to small.

[Raven]

Nothing new here, a hand full people crunched some numbers to some how justify their pay check. Make it shocking enough everyone will buy into it.

[Digtlartst]

"Red Firetrucks Roaring Back After 30 Years, Arlington [VA] Giving Up on Yellow and White"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30182-2004Mar27.html

[Moybin]

Sometimes the gears of progress grind up the good and replace it with the bad. Seems a lot of the safety "studies" are too narrow in their focus (no pun intended). The human visual system is the most complex portion of our neurological anatomy. Changing a color because it's "more visible" ignores the actual response of the brain to the color, as the article on firetrucks points out.

I'm not a fan of Brand X motorcycles from Milwaukee, but one thing they have going for them is the triple headlight on the hogs. At night i KNOW that's a motorcycle, not some popeye car, of which we have plenty in the midwest.

Headlight modulators are a great idea. But outside the USA a lot of countries reserve headlights always on for emergency vehicles. That tells me no one has figured out a 100% surefire way to make a scoot more visible.

I DO think there should be a government mandated minimum number of square inches of brake lights in the back of any car or truck, but you won't ever get that through Congress.

And what about the customized Goldwing that's so lit up it looks like a low-flying UFO? Don't those distract cage drivers from other things happening on the road?

When is enough conspicuity too much conspicuity? How would we ever know? Who's study could we ever believe?

[Raven]

Totaly amazing!

Fire trucks are huge and have lots of lights and make loud noises!

What diff does it make what color it is?

People who don't care and don't pay attention are the problem, not color.

How much money gets spent on studies like this?

Sorry, I meant wasted on this silly stuff.

[island_dude]

This is a pretty complex topic. I think there are some key points though:
Riders are inherently more vulnerable. Increasing visibility can help cars notice us. Being noticed doesn't mean that other drivers will act on the awareness. for example: I read about a very informal and unscientific study done to gage visibility and number of right of way violations. A rider dressed up in black and road an all black cycle. Later he dressed in high visibilty clothing and road a light colored bike. A third time he dressed up in black, wore his motorcycle club ID on his chest like an ID. and Generally acted like a motorcycle cop.
His conclusion was that even though he was not as visible in the faux-cop outfit, he posed more of a visible threat to the surounding cars. this lowered the overall number of right of way violations he encountered more than wearing the high visibilty clothing and bike.

Motorcycles are not considered a threat to car drivers in the same way larger vehicles are. I think most drivers notice bikes, but fail to act on them as a competing vehicle.

Anyway, this is just part of what is going on.

[Digtlartst]

To the dork (or dorkette) at the wheel of a behemoth BigFoot leather-lined Escalade with blacked out windows cruising 20mph over the limit chatting on a cell phone while sipping latte, it wouldn't matter if a fire engine glowed in the dark.

[Digtlartst]

One of the questions on the Virginia motorcycle tests asks if a rider should assume that making direct eye contact with a car driver is an affirmation that the driver sees you. The correct answer on the test is NO.

[Raven]

Isn't it sad that the use of the pharse "Competing vehicle" is the most accurate discription of what is really happening on the road!

The concept that bigger is better has gone way to far!

I prefer riding my bike in traffic instead of my F150. I have a lot more options on the bike to deal with the morons!

[Moybin]

In support of Island_Dude's statement about cage drivers not perceiving motos as a threat: personally knew a guy who had an old geezer gal blow a stop sign and block his right-of-way. He and his wife were on an early Goldwing. He jumped over the *****'s hood, his wife tumbled, screaming, behind him. They survived, with broken bones. South Carolina trooper was right behind old biddie, saw the whole thing. As he's writing out the ticket the ***** tries to get in her Buick to drive off! She can't comprehend that the Goldwing impact has cracked her block and shattered her transmission even though there is fluid everywhere! Cop writes her up for trying to flee the scene, too! They got a brand new 'Wing out of the deal, but it's a Hell of a way to do it! The old woman told the cop that she didn't stop because "it was just a motorcycle". She saw them and made the conscious decision to cut them off!

[Dingo Joe]

[i]A third time he dressed up in black, wore his motorcycle club ID on his chest like an ID. and Generally acted like a motorcycle cop.
His conclusion was that even though he was not as visible in the faux-cop outfit, he posed more of a visible threat to the surounding cars. this lowered the overall number of right of way violations he encountered more than wearing the high visibilty clothing and bike.

[/B]

Interesting point there Dude. I think that people often mistake me for a bike cop. I usually wear black leathers with refective piping and silver/grey reflective shoulder patches (vanson). My bike is the 2-tone silver/mpy, I have a oheadlight modulator, and I usually have the hard bags on. To a great deal of old folks and women, I must seem to appear as the law as they will quickly pull to the curb lane when I approach from the rear. I've had many pull over completely. In general, I've never enjoyed the amount of recognition and avoidance that I get on this bike than any other bike I've ridden in the past. BTW, none of my other bike was set up in a similar fashion.

[Moybin]

Dingo Joe:

One wonders what those who buy used R11RT Police specials notice. I've seen a couple of threads/comments where they said cages must mistake them for police. Would be interesting if there was a way to poll a large population of those owners.

How far can a civilian go in "imitating" the look of police officer before he/she is looking at charges for impersonation?

Also, does this "effect" work in areas that do not have motorcycle police? Here in Iowa there is no such thing, at least I've never seen one in 20+ years.

[Dingo Joe]

I'm sure that an RT11RTP would be like sitting on Moses's shoulders while at the banks of the red sea.

As far as imitation is concerned, no red/blue lenses on the front spots, no "Police" markings, although I'm sure you could come close if you wanted to get cute... no flashing red/blue strobes. The blk/wht 2 tone is ok though. Don't know what else is involved

[repoe3]

Originally posted by Raven
Fire trucks are huge and have lots of lights and make loud noises!

so we should all ride around with flashing headlights and REALLY loud exhaust.

repoe3