Normk
Canada's Wet Coast
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Motorcyclists are often unseen by other drivers. Here is an interesting phenomonon called: "Motion induced blindness" which may expain why those who fail to move their eyes around frequently enough may fail so see small objects:
http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html
Thought it might be interesting/instructive.
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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Interesting theory, however, being an avid motorcycle rider for many decades and still being here to talk about it, my take on it is a lot of has to do with drivers simply not paying attention - and it is far worse today than it was in years gone by...
While it is true that a motorcycle is a much smaller vehicle than a car, my modulating headlight on high beam and modulating (flashing) brake lights are designed to grab the attention of all but the most serious brain dead drivers...
Still, many motorcyclists are killed by moronic drivers not paying attention... Take the case of the Illinois female drive that killed a motorcyclist waiting to turn left - the female driver of the car was "painting her fingernails" and "didn't see" the motorcyclist!!!
I call that inattentive (negligent) driving!!! The woman should have gone to jail for years and yet she received only an 18 month sentence and served her jail time in the evenings after work!!! What a sham!!!
http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2........-fatal-crash-gets-18-months-in-jail.html
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revump
Las Vegas
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And what about the moronic motorcyclists who fly by you squeezing between vehicles, popping wheelies, and racing, who don't pay attention to any speed limit. I think that this is at least a two-way street.
LAdams wrote:Interesting theory, however, being an avid motorcycle rider for many decades and still being here to talk about it, my take on it is a lot of has to do with drivers simply not paying attention - and it is far worse today than it was in years gone by...
While it is true that a motorcycle is a much smaller vehicle than a car, my modulating headlight on high beam and modulating (flashing) brake lights are designed to grab the attention of all but the most serious brain dead drivers...
Still, many motorcyclists are killed by moronic drivers not paying attention... Take the case of the Illinois female drive that killed a motorcyclist waiting to turn left - the female driver of the car was "painting her fingernails" and "didn't see" the motorcyclist!!!
I call that inattentive (negligent) driving!!! The woman should have gone to jail for years and yet she received only an 18 month sentence and served her jail time in the evenings after work!!! What a sham!!!
http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2........-fatal-crash-gets-18-months-in-jail.html
Les
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Normk
Canada's Wet Coast
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Not wishing this to sound like a debate because I do agree with your conclusion that many accidents are due to inattention. Of course having my agreement does not mean that the conclusion is correct! (Grin) If you want the right answer we'll have to ask my wife. I have learned that over many decades. (Grin)
47 years with both car and bike licenses and been hit twice, both by drivers who claimed they didn't see me. Accident reports often state that the bike "came out of nowhere" or that the bike was travelling at excessive speed but investigations seldom support that conclusion. It seems that people simply do not see a small object which is approaching directly.
It might make sense from a primative survival perspective for a large creature to develop visual characteristics which cause it to ignore small approaching objects so unless one is attentive.....
Recent research by Michael Kahneman shows that we operate on an uncritical automatic thinking mode for the majority of the time.
I use flashing brake light, additional lights and weaving within the lane in an attempt to be visible but not sure that it really helps.
Pilots are trained to keep constantly scanning in order to reduce motion induced blindness which supports the technique for vehicle drivers. Problem is that most people are too lazy to remain alert for any significant period. That and like the young lady in the short skirt who passed me on the highway, cell phone wedged into shoulder, leaning against driver's window, shoes off, feet on seat, steering with one leg, holding nail polish bottle in left hand while using right hand to paint toe nails. It makes one shudder!
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doublenot7
Clear Lake, Texas
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You should always be scanning. Your vision is more attracted to movement and brighter colors.
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MrWizard
Van Nuys, Ca
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yes there are some idiot's on motorcycles
but as a RIDER and a driver I do believe there are more inattentive drivers than idiot show off cyclists
Options, always have options, and the journey goes much smoother
....
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past-MIdirector
Michigan
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Years ago when I was a Safely NCO in the Air Force, all motorcycle drivers went to classes set up by the Air Force. One of the main things that I still remember from those classes is that as the operate of a motorcycle drive like you are invisible cause in most cases the vehicle drivers never see you. It's as true today as it was back then.
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K3WE
Missouri
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doublenot7 wrote:We should always be scanning. Our vision is more attracted to movement and brighter colors.
Fixed.
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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K3WE wrote:doublenot7 wrote:We should always be scanning. Our vision is more attracted to movement and brighter colors.
Fixed.
there was an interesting article on PBS (Nova??) looking at human vision and reaction time. Studies show that human brains react very quickly to periferal vision changes, but much slower to movement in central vision. Theory is that it is related to the old "survival" instinct and that we react to periferal vision changes as a survival means as reaction to attack, while central vision movements aren't responded to as quickly, we already can see what is going on.
They then did simulator studies to try to understand why so many rear end colisions or colisions with things in front of a driver that should be very visible occured so often. They showed how drivers in simulators react quickly to side vision changes to avoid a collision, but much slower to central vision changes, e.g. traffic stopped in front of the driver.
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ArcticDodge
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Of course there are more moronic cagers that cyclists. It's sheer numbers. However, there are many deaths that are directly related to the motorcyclist. Seattle saw almost a half dozen deaths because the rider could not make an offramp curve and flew off the overpass and died. Sad when they take their kid or girlfriend with them. I don't care for street riding and stick to off road trails. I enjoy my convertibles and find it much more relaxing than street riding. Truth is... I'm a speedfreak and placed myself on a self imposed ban from street riding after going 120 on a ST1300 with my wife on the back. Stupid and I'll never put myself in that position again. Modern bikes are amazing machines that suck you in.
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