Explainer videos

[The Spin Doctor]

When people don't see you I wonder if it is actually that during their quick glance their brain has seen you but the primitive part does not see you as a threat so in their often overloaded mind( listening to the news playing with their satnag talking on the phone or just remembers they have to do something etc) it does not prioritise you so they pull out.

Same suggesting as to DK - read Spin's SOBS pages (or, better still, buy his book!) for far more information on this.

The 'not a threat' theory was suggested 40-odd years ago by Harry Hurt and whilst it seemed to make sense at the time, more recent evidence suggests that car drivers are generally sensitive to the vulnerability of riders and most will actually give motorcyclists MORE room than they will a car... so it's much more likely to be a perception failure.

There's also no real evidence for distraction - the phone's a myth because most people stop talking when performing a difficult task. Out of 50 fatal crashes in London in 2017, ONE crash was put down by police investigations to the driver being on the phone... the same number as was the result of a driver having a medical emergency at the wheel.

[Dodgy69]

Thank you Spin,

A very interesting and thought provoking read. Sadly, with our ever increasing traffic, our own senses seem to be struggling to cope. With autonomous cars in the pipe line, (or is that pipe dream ) maybe sensors to overide human error and apply brakes could help us out here and stop us pulling out when vehicles are approaching. At a cost I suppose.

The idea of contrast makes sence, drls on bikes is a great idea, but alas, 4 wheelers have them aswel. God knows why. I believe this alone would be our greatest visual contrast, nevermind.

Personally at junctions, if I don't have a clear view, signage, long grass, door pillar, etc, it makes me look harder, move my head and for longer, but unfortunately not everyone.

I think our roads have just got far too busy, everyones in a rush. Maybe thinking about other things and basically not giving the road the due care and attention it deserves.

Great read.

[exportman]

I think our roads have just got far too busy, everyones in a rush. Maybe thinking about other things and basically not giving the road the due care and attention it deserves.

Not sure as it is in a rush that is the problem more everyone feels themselves far too important, entitled and just plain selfish. The number of drivers I see closing gaps deliberately if they think someone else is looking at taking up what they consider their piece of road space especially at junctions, slip roads and merge points.
Very little courtesy on the roads now, no consideration for anyone else.

[The Spin Doctor]

Thank you Spin,

A very interesting and thought provoking read. Sadly, with our ever increasing traffic, our own senses seem to be struggling to cope. With autonomous cars in the pipe line, (or is that pipe dream ) maybe sensors to overide human error and apply brakes could help us out here and stop us pulling out when vehicles are approaching. At a cost I suppose.

The idea of contrast makes sence, drls on bikes is a great idea, but alas, 4 wheelers have them aswel. God knows why. I believe this alone would be our greatest visual contrast, nevermind.

Personally at junctions, if I don't have a clear view, signage, long grass, door pillar, etc, it makes me look harder, move my head and for longer, but unfortunately not everyone.

I think our roads have just got far too busy, everyones in a rush. Maybe thinking about other things and basically not giving the road the due care and attention it deserves.

Great read.

Thanks... if you head over to https://scienceofbeingseen.wordpress.com, I've run though all this - there's a short summary, the long explanation, referenced to the research.

In Singapore, they changed the law so that riders had to switch on lights... compliance with the new rule was high, effects on crashes fairly modest... around 10% reduction... or to put it another way, there's a 1 in 10 chance that turning lights on would prevent a collision.

Other studies have found everything from 0% to 20% reduction in crashes when lights are on.

So... bearing in mind their limited effectiveness... if you do want to 'make a difference' by using DRLs, the best results from recent studies which factor in car day running lights are now in use seems to come from using a YELLOW headlight. I've been using a yellow perspex headlight cover for quite some time as it happens - the main reason was a) to prevent stone chips in the plastic headlight lens, and b) to help the trainees see me behind them. The cover comes off if I need to ride at night.

[Horse]

Just remembered something else in the podcast that amused me.

It was mentioned a few times that being able to 'make safe progress' could be important if you were driving your wife to hospital , travelling fast being necessary to avoid IIRC "the baby dropping into the footwell" so had to be overtaking.

As it happens Filly was in a few days before that stage, so I have no first hand experience.

However, a mate once told me that he was looking forward to having the ultimate "but officer ... " excuse - only to have those hopes dashed by being told, in no uncertain terms, to drive very slowly and very, very, carefully!