Open Face Crash

[pechorin75_imp]

You know I could buy into all the guys saying dress for the crash, not for the ride, but it seems to me that if one were REALLY, and I mean really, interested in being safe, all the ATGATT guys would be wearing more Hi Viz..jackets, helmets etc, and although I am seeing more of it these days, very few are giving up their black or bike matching colored jackets and helmets for Hi Viz.

Isn't it better to try and avoid the crash in the first place than to just wear gear to help in case of?

Isn't the number one excuse for drivers pulling out in front of motorcyclists the old "I didn't see him" line?

On my recent tour out west I wore a high viz vest over top of my regular gear 100% the time. I was in strange areas, looking for hidden roads, with unfamiliar traffic patterns. I wanted people to see me. I also had extra reflective stickers on my helmet and bike ( seems many on this forum immediately remove the side reflectors on their bikes). I saw lots of bikes on our trip out west. Jim's jacket and my vest were the only Hi Viz gear I saw,



I can tell you from working 25 years in the highway traffic safety field, that Hi Viz is the most important thing you can wear if you want to be seen on the highway. Without question, the greatest thing you can wear from a safety stand point.

So, many of you safety first guys, what is your excuse for not wearing Hi Viz gear?

My helmet is mostly white, and my leather jacket is white. Doesn't exactly match either of my two red bikes.

As for hi-viz, while it certainly can't hurt, no evidence exists that I'm aware of that says it increases visibility of motorcyclists. If someone can't see my highbeam from the front, they're unlikely to see the hi-viz vest, which pales in comparison. From the side, the vest is non-existent. Perhaps from the back it could help, and also at night. Also, if you're on a proper ST bike with a high-viz vest and a white helmet, you start looking like the popo, which can be good.

This New Zealand study reached some interesting conclusions about hi-viz and accident stats: [url=http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7444/857]http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7444/857

Nothing scientific, but I've always felt like cars give me a wider berth when I'm wearing hi-viz. And again, just me personally, but somebody wearing a hi-viz jacket sticks out like a sore thumb against almost any background. I find it's almost hard NOT to look at them.

Plus hi-viz works regardless of the direction from which you're being observed, unlike high-beams or flashing taillights. (I don't know about you guys, but when I use high beam during the day, quite a few cars flash me.)