November’s hi-viz thread (Warning! Scientific geek stuff)

[Hot_Air]

New stuff has been published on the traditional SMIDSY;
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7822001942

@The Spin Doctor It could be further info to add to the Science of Being Seen on auxiliary lighting.

[Horse]

Headlight orientation did not affect when drivers perceived closing, and drivers were not able to integrate optical expansion from multiple dimensions in a way that achieves a lower looming threshold. However, the alternative motorcycle headlight configurations that accentuated the full extent of a motorcycle’s size resulted in drivers perceiving closing sooner

Hmmm ... that's pretty much in the 'no shit sherlock' territory of looming.

Hence advice I've given over the years to make your bike appear wider. For example, paint mirrors fluoro orange (don't think anyone has ever done so!), or yourself by wearing hi-viz with sleeves.

[Rockburner]

Headlight orientation did not affect when drivers perceived closing, and drivers were not able to integrate optical expansion from multiple dimensions in a way that achieves a lower looming threshold. However, the alternative motorcycle headlight configurations that accentuated the full extent of a motorcycle’s size resulted in drivers perceiving closing sooner

Hmmm ... that's pretty much in the 'no shit sherlock' territory of looming.

Hence advice I've given over the years to make your bike appear wider. For example, paint mirrors fluoro orange (don't think anyone has ever done so!), or yourself by wearing hi-viz with sleeves.

I used to have a wide handlebar fairing on the Mirth that seemed to make the bike very visible. It also had orange reflexite over it.

Ugly as sin, but effective.

[The Spin Doctor]

Ta... I think some of that actually repeats with more modern techniques what's been known for years; for example:

"Drivers perceived closing sooner for larger headlight configurations except when the headlight configurations were relatively small, in which case the effect of headlight size was attenuated."

I've got a link to a paper from the late 60s from the TRRL if I remember right, which indicated that small single headlights were not perceived to be approaching at the same speed / distance as bigger single headlights. That's deffo in the SOBS work, but the new paper can reinforce that for sure.

There were a number of couriers 'back in the day' who'd painted fairing mounted mirrors orange. I actually put red tape (I know, wrong colour) on my 125's mirrors back in the mid-70s. It's a common trick with campervans too.

[Hot_Air]

Why is red (tape) the wrong colour?

[Horse]

Why is red (tape) the wrong colour?

If retroreflective, uk lighting regs.

White - front
Amber - side
Red - rear

[Hot_Air]

More conspicuous food for thought (from August this year): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7822001723

[Hot_Air]

make your bike appear wider.

In July last year, evidence emerged that we should use white and yellow lights to accentuate our height:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7521001494

“These findings demonstrate that motorcycle safety can be improved by headlight ergonomics that accentuate the vertical dimension of motorcycles.”

[Horse]

make your bike appear wider.

In July last year, evidence emerged that we should use white and yellow lights to accentuate our height:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7521001494

“These findings demonstrate that motorcycle safety can be improved by headlight ergonomics that accentuate the vertical dimension of motorcycles.”

Indeed. IIRC I sent that to Spin. If he mentioned it somewhere, I reminded him of the Honda experimental bike with 'sissy bar' light.

However, doesn't this from your OP contradict it?

drivers were not able to integrate optical expansion from multiple dimensions in a way that achieves a lower looming threshold.