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Motorcyclist Visibility

And if low conspicuity is such an important factor, then why do most motorcyclists wear black from head to toe? Shouldn't that also be obvious?


form before function.
style before safety.

you would think at least folks would want a lighter color because black is so frickin' hot in the sun...but no...perceived style first.

gear manufacturers are no help. most of the gear that is available to buy is.......BLACK. argh.
 
I went with Hi Viz yellow gear. Jackets and Helite turtle 2 airbag vest; white helmet that's striped in 3m reflective tape, running lights; skeen aux brake lights that flash; reflective material on the LR bags front and rear.

It may not help, but it sure doesn't hurt to be more visible on the road. Forethought goes a long way, reducing potential risk is never a negative, whether it helps in any given situation or not. :thumb
 

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More from the MAIDS study:

The clothing worn by the PTW rider was photographed and evaluated for each MAIDS case. A determination was made by the investigator as to whether or not this clothing contributed to the conspicuity of the PTW and the PTW riders. This evaluation was purely subjective on the part of the investigator. Table 8.13 indicates that in 65.3% of all cases, the clothing made no contribution to the conspicuity of the rider or the PTW. There were very few cases found in which the bright clothing of the PTW rider enhanced the PTW’s overall conspicuity (46 cases).There were more cases in which the use of dark clothing decreased the conspicuity of the rider and the PTW (120 cases).


Harry

Am I missing something here? If one type of clothing is LESS conspicuous, then wouldn’t the opposite clothing have to be MORE conspicuous. If something is less than something else, then the other is more!!?! (And if clothing is not a conspicuosity factor then one can’t be more or less than the other.
Situation probably has a lot to do with this too; lights may be a major factor in one situation while clothing may be important in another, and both may be helpful in a third.
 
I find that I notice lights on bikes more than I do colour of riding gear. More specifically, I don't think I notice hi-viz gear any more than I notice any other colour, except perhaps for black.
 
I find that I notice lights on bikes more than I do colour of riding gear.
Yep.
29647336274b4c8914a478348fa4df83.jpg

Thats it, forget the Aerostich I'm going to go full Nudie!

inspiration.jpg

Bill

From a racecar driving school chalkboard; An accident is a meteor hitting a car, everything else involves an error.
 
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I gotta say that the Hi-Viz jacket does get noticed. I had several cars pull over like I was the police for my red R1200R with the Photon Blasters and the Clearwater lights. I originally thought it was just the lights. The I had the same thing happen when I was riding my KTM390. If US based emergency personnel and LEOs wore fluorescent yellow like they do in many European countries, this would make sense, but so far the only explanation I can come up with is that people just think my jacket is ugly and will let me by so they don't have to look at it.

I still like this vest from the UK:

Polite Vest.jpg
 
I have a blue/white R1200RS with a pair of auxiliary amber spotlights mounted on the crash bars and wear a white helmet. I’ve had several cars pull over and stop for me!
 
Yesterday coming back from lunch I noticed a bike in about a quarter of a mile in front of me. What got my attention was the bike changing lanes, plus I an super aware of motorcycles. The rider had a light helmet and mostly yellow and black jacket. When I went by him I noticed it was a wethead RT. The front light was very dim, He had some auxiliary lights down by the rotors which were brighter. I really didn't notice the rider behind the windshield and fairing. An LED headlight and some more lighting and he would have been a lot more conspicuous.
 
While I agree with conspicuous gear, what has seemed to make the biggest difference for me has been Clearwater lights up front and a Billie Brake light coupled with the high brake light on my 49L case. Riding with friends they have all mentioned whether following me or in front of me how my RT stands out.

Of course, none of that means anything when a cager has their mind on the poor business meeting they just left or any number of other distractions. For me after 50 years of riding, the single thing that has saved my bacon more times than I can count is ALWAYS expect drivers to do what they're not supposed to do. It's about recognizing those situations when motorcycle accidents are most likely to happen and taking steps to neutralize the risk. While this ability at recognition can certainly be taught, it mostly just develops over time from experience.
 
Movement

Seems like most of the arguments for conspicuity are covered in this discussion. I wear hi-viz most of the time, although I do have four jackets I wear on a regular basis that don't qualify. Yes I know, I have a problem with too much motorcycle gear, but I like it, and I'll take the extra risk when I wear my "bad ass motorcycle dude" leather jacket, or my grey Aerostich Darien light jacket. I'll agree with the general consensus that hi-vi clothing, white helmets, and additional lights helps sometimes, maybe even often, but not always. I read in an article once about cars turning in front of fire trucks with lights on and sirens going. It didn't mention of the paint was red or Hi-Viz, but the point was made. I usually am in Hi-Viz and a white helmet as a small part of my risk management strategy, and hope that it helps at least some of the time.

I didn't see any mention of movement in the discussion. The human eye/brain is attracted to movement, part of that basic hunter/prey instinct hard wired into us. There is a tool in my toolbox that I was introduced to as a "gunner's weave", although it probably goes by other names. That is a movement from side to side within your lane when observing another vehicle that you want to make sure sees you. A motorcycle moving in a straight line tends to be a single spot of light, and it is more difficult for drivers to judge speed and distance than with a car or truck that they are familiar with. Whether you are in all black with dim lights, or fully decked out with Hi-Viz and auxiliary lighting, movement itself may trigger that hard wired synapse in a driver. I'm sure it doesn't always work, but I have had vehicles stop making a turn in front of me after they had started to move. Maybe it was my gunner's weave, maybe it was my clothing, or light, or maybe something else. All I know is occasionally vehicles starting to turn in front of me will stop. There is not a perfect solution, think of those fire trucks, but I believe a purposeful weave is a useful tool.
 
I didn't see any mention of movement in the discussion. The human eye/brain is attracted to movement, part of that basic hunter/prey instinct hard wired into us. There is a tool in my toolbox that I was introduced to as a "gunner's weave", although it probably goes by other names. That is a movement from side to side within your lane when observing another vehicle that you want to make sure sees you. A motorcycle moving in a straight line tends to be a single spot of light, and it is more difficult for drivers to judge speed and distance than with a car or truck that they are familiar with. Whether you are in all black with dim lights, or fully decked out with Hi-Viz and auxiliary lighting, movement itself may trigger that hard wired synapse in a driver. I'm sure it doesn't always work, but I have had vehicles stop making a turn in front of me after they had started to move. Maybe it was my gunner's weave, maybe it was my clothing, or light, or maybe something else. All I know is occasionally vehicles starting to turn in front of me will stop. There is not a perfect solution, think of those fire trucks, but I believe a purposeful weave is a useful tool.

I affectionately refer to your "gunner's weave" as a Crazy Ivan. The Hunt For Red October should ring a bell.

Out on the big road, with all the traffic flowing about the same speed, the eyes catches the aggressive lane change. It is only natural.

At times, I have done my Crazy Ivan with extreme enthusiam and end up passing the the car, ready to turn left, and seeing the deer-in-the-headlights look on that driver. It is almost an expression of "what the hell is wrong with that guy? Sheesh. But, it works (most of the time.) A lot of the looks I get are too nasty to describe on this forum, which may be from the thought that I swerved at them, but I digress.

Thanks for the good contribution to this thread.

Cheers,
William
 
head light

Ditto if he used his high beam during daylight.[/QUOTE

The NYS DMV safety council strongly recommends high beam daytime use on motorcycles.

Friedle

Friedle:

Doesn't New York law require a motor cycle to have the headlight on at all times? Anyway, isn't the use of the high beam a nuisance to oncoming traffic? I ride a lot in New York and wonder what is the best option.
 
Unfortunately sometimes no matter what you do, wear or turn on, there are drivers (too many) who just won't or refuse to see you.

These are the same drivers who don't see railroad crossings with trains passing by; fire trucks parked in the road at an accident (with their emergency lights flashing); Uniformed motor officer standing in plain view pointing that radar gun at them; road closed/flooded signs or that motorcyclist wearing a neon yellow riding suit & riding a bike with multiple bright lights.

The safety recommendations here are good and do help. But when possible there are times where you just need to identify that bugged eyed/texting/mouth breather/distracted driver and keep as far away from them as you can. :thumb

(Nice little rant, I rather enjoyed that) :)
 
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