Why Drivers Don't See Us - Featuring the CB1100

[the Ferret]

Lol as a salesman in the Highway Traffc Safety Field for the last 25 years before retiring, conspicuity was a word I used about every day. Sold lots of conspicuity tape to municipalities for their equipment, and it takes a boat load to tape up a school bus or semi lol. The stuff is expensive too.

When you see a vehicle with alternating sections of hi intensity red and white tape around the perimeter, THAT is conspicuity tape.

[Retsel_imp]

When I was in collage, driving my Kawasaki Bushwacker, I was hit head on by a station wagon, that was on my right, at a stop sign from a road coming towards the road I was on from an angle. Using this swerving technique would have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering. The driver never saw me.

When I took a motorcycle driving class, to get a California motorcycle license, this technique was never mentioned? It should be taught everywhere! It just makes sense. Watching wheels works fine when it takes a change in direction for the auto driver to hit you, like in traffic, but does nothing if they only need to move straight ahead to get you, at an intersection.


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[Nortoon_imp]

When I was in collage, driving my Kawasaki Bushwacker, I was hit head on by a station wagon, that was on my right, at a stop sign from a road coming towards the road I was on from an angle. Using this swerving technique would have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering. The driver never saw me.

When I took a motorcycle driving class, to get a California motorcycle license, this technique was never mentioned? It should be taught everywhere! It just makes sense. Watching wheels works fine when it takes a change in direction for the auto driver to hit you, like in traffic, but does nothing if they only need to move straight ahead to get you, at an intersection.


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When approaching a vehicle stopped to the right or left in front of me, if the wheels start to move or don't stop I start taking emergency measures immediately: down shifting, braking, etc.

I also slow down or speed up to use oncoming traffic as blockers when approaching vehicles on a side road to the left.

The wheels on an oncoming vehicles are impossible to see, as are the drivers eyes because of the glare on the windshield. You would probably see the change of direction of the vehicle first. Unfortunately its an impatient driver that's not going to signal and turn in front of you, whether they see you or not.

I instinctively move from away from the center line as a vehicle approaches, or I am approaching the top of a hill.

The most dangerous oncoming vehicle is the one behind the first oncoming car, as they may be waiting to pass. They can't see you and you can't see them unless you move over.

I stay closer to the center line if there is no oncoming traffic. I want the car behind me to pass me like they would a car, not half in my lane.

[Retsel_imp]

Good pointers. Thanks!

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[Rocky_imp]

Like EmptySea, I thought I had a pretty extensive vocabulary (for me the queen's english) until I saw the word "conspicuity" in a bike magazine article about the subject..... probably 10-12 years or more ago.
The article was laced with the word, and while I got the gist of what it meant, I went to Webster's and looked it up to make certain
It's always a good day when you learn something new, and it was as a result of that article that I dumped the black leather and went with white helmets and red textile jackets.
So far, so good.

[Stichill_imp]

When I was in collage, driving my Kawasaki Bushwacker, I was hit head on by a station wagon, that was on my right, at a stop sign from a road coming towards the road I was on from an angle. Using this swerving technique would have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering. The driver never saw me.

When I took a motorcycle driving class, to get a California motorcycle license, this technique was never mentioned? It should be taught everywhere! It just makes sense. Watching wheels works fine when it takes a change in direction for the auto driver to hit you, like in traffic, but does nothing if they only need to move straight ahead to get you, at an intersection.


Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

When approaching a vehicle stopped to the right or left in front of me, if the wheels start to move or don't stop I start taking emergency measures immediately: down shifting, braking, etc.

I also slow down or speed up to use oncoming traffic as blockers when approaching vehicles on a side road to the left.

The wheels on an oncoming vehicles are impossible to see, as are the drivers eyes because of the glare on the windshield. You would probably see the change of direction of the vehicle first. Unfortunately its an impatient driver that's not going to signal and turn in front of you, whether they see you or not.

I instinctively move from away from the center line as a vehicle approaches, or I am approaching the top of a hill.

The most dangerous oncoming vehicle is the one behind the first oncoming car, as they may be waiting to pass. They can't see you and you can't see them unless you move over.

I stay closer to the center line if there is no oncoming traffic. I want the car behind me to pass me like they would a car, not half in my lane.

Nortoon this is intense wisdom! These are some very fine but crucial points about the craft of riding safely, obviously honed over years of experience and attentiveness. I learned a lot from this post and it is going into my safe riding archive.
One thing I would add to the discussion, related to the left turner (US/Euro road rules) who doesn't see you: sometimes the optimal evasive action is to brake and swerve left, passing behind the vehicle as it violates your right-of-way. The problem, of course, is if they see you too late and slam on the brakes, stopping in the path of your attempted evasive maneuver. Time + distance + position + path = collision.

Good video of an evasion in this situation. Don't watch or turn down the sound if you are offended by intense profanity in English. This moto vlogger is from Portugal and is rather entertaining most of the time. However on this occasion he got a wake-up call that can serve as an example to us all.

[Nortoon_imp]

When I was in collage, driving my Kawasaki Bushwacker, I was hit head on by a station wagon, that was on my right, at a stop sign from a road coming towards the road I was on from an angle. Using this swerving technique would have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering. The driver never saw me.

When I took a motorcycle driving class, to get a California motorcycle license, this technique was never mentioned? It should be taught everywhere! It just makes sense. Watching wheels works fine when it takes a change in direction for the auto driver to hit you, like in traffic, but does nothing if they only need to move straight ahead to get you, at an intersection.


Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

When approaching a vehicle stopped to the right or left in front of me, if the wheels start to move or don't stop I start taking emergency measures immediately: down shifting, braking, etc.

I also slow down or speed up to use oncoming traffic as blockers when approaching vehicles on a side road to the left.

The wheels on an oncoming vehicles are impossible to see, as are the drivers eyes because of the glare on the windshield. You would probably see the change of direction of the vehicle first. Unfortunately its an impatient driver that's not going to signal and turn in front of you, whether they see you or not.

I instinctively move from away from the center line as a vehicle approaches, or I am approaching the top of a hill.

The most dangerous oncoming vehicle is the one behind the first oncoming car, as they may be waiting to pass. They can't see you and you can't see them unless you move over.

I stay closer to the center line if there is no oncoming traffic. I want the car behind me to pass me like they would a car, not half in my lane.

Nortoon this is intense wisdom! These are some very fine but crucial points about the craft of riding safely, obviously honed over years of experience and attentiveness. I learned a lot from this post and it is going into my safe riding archive.
One thing I would add to the discussion, related to the left turner (US/Euro road rules) who doesn't see you: sometimes the optimal evasive action is to brake and swerve left, passing behind the vehicle as it violates your right-of-way. The problem, of course, is if they see you too late and slam on the brakes, stopping in the path of your attempted evasive maneuver. Time + distance + position + path = collision.

Good video of an evasion in this situation. Don't watch or turn down the sound if you are offended by intense profanity in English. This moto vlogger is from Portugal and is rather entertaining most of the time. However on this occasion he got a wake-up call that can serve as an example to us all.

I love Cager on Two Wheels' videos because he gives an honest opinion of the borrowed motorcycle's good and bad characteristics. In the video he did the right thing by aiming for the rear of the car in the left turn. But like most of us caught suddenly in an emergency situation he did lock-up the brakes TWICE.

I also don't think it is a good idea to ride up beside the driver's window, especially if you are angry. In a bike versus car battle there can only be one loser.

Cager is enthusiastic about motorcycling. But I as I remember he is fairly new to the sport and rides a smaller motorcycle. In his latest videos on larger motorcycles he gets excited almost giddy about their power and tends to ride too quickly. It takes a few incidents like that to remind us that you have to respect the power of any machine especially on an unfamiliar bike in urban traffic.

Having been lent a Yamaha FZ-09 by my dealer for the day, I spent the first hour or so slowly getting use to the machine. It has more than twice the power of the CB500X I currently ride. But as the day wore on I became more enthusiastic riding on one of my favourite twisty roads. Then it happened. I doe bolted out of the bush right in front of me. Fortunately the FZ-09 had good brakes and the road only allowed me to use half of the bike's potential power. If we live, we learn.

[Stichill_imp]

Nortoon you are a shrewd rider. I can learn a lot from your musings. I think power in motorcycles is mostly overrated as a component of the fun factor. Pragmatically speaking, power should not be the main element of motorcycle fun but a conservator of safety margin. I was intrigued by a declaration in your earlier post "I also slow down or speed up to use oncoming traffic as blockers when approaching vehicles on a side road to the left." That strategy never occurred to me. Having a bit of juice on tap could help a lot in the 'speed up' moments.

[Nightengale_imp]

I just took another motorcycle class. They strongly emphasized changing lane positioning "to be seen" (and approach to traffic, curves, obstacles). In other words, always position yourself where you can best be seen (whenever possible).

The swerve was also heavily empasized, again and again. Knowing how to countersteer and practice, practice, practice.

[Stichill_imp]

Good point Nightengale. I wear hi-viz and always seek lane position to increase the chances of being seen...never want to inadvertently or intentionally be hidden from other vehicles. That being said, it's not enough to be visible, as many drivers will still not see you.

That's why I find Nortoon's tactics so powerful. He's the ultimate defensive rider...he does everything he can with brakes, throttle, and steering to ensure that he minimizes the capability of other traffic to intersect with him in time and place. I've read a lot of safe riding books and watched a lot of safe riding videos and I have never come across anything like what Nortoon has expressed here.

One thing I'd like to offer is a comment on whether or not to move in your lane away from a threat that is A) a potential oncoming left turner (US/Euro rules) or B) entering from the left or right. I have started a new practice of "riding right at them" as soon as I see them, in order to make sure that they can pick up my daylight high beam. Then as I get closer, I perform the swerve maneuver away from them to make myself move laterally relative to their perspective to increase the likelihood that they will discern my movement, as well as increase physical separation.