Hi Viz Gear

[2017EX_imp]

I thought I would throw a couple of Hi Viz gear options out there for discussion. The subject for me was prompted by the following: Last fall, on a clear bright sunny day, I was sitting on my bike at a full stop with both feet on the ground, front brake on, and first in line at a stop light minding my own business. All of a sudden, I felt a jolt from behind me. It turns out that a middle aged woman in an SUV had bumped me from the rear. Long story shorter, my rear fender, tail light housing, and license plate bracket all had to be replaced ( fortunately she had full coverage insurance ). Thankfully, it did not knock me down. The first words out of the woman's mouth were " I did not see you", although I suspect the real reason was that she had probably been texting while driving. This episode got me to thinking about some Hi Viz gear ( yeah I know if a car driver is not paying any attention at all, Hi Viz will probably not matter ) that might increase my odds of being seen.

Hi Viz Vest: After much online research, I found a Fieldsheer On Base 2.0 Hi Viz orange mesh vest on close out. Unfortunately most vests of this type ( unless it is a cheap road construction type that flaps in the wind ) are over priced for what they actually are, IMHO. The vest was originally intended for military personnel for riding their bikes on base, and so has a military I.D. holder with clear window on the left chest. I removed the holder by carefully clipping the thread it was sewn onto the vest with. There are 3 sizes, SM- Med, Med-LG, and Xl-3Xl. The Med-Lg fit perfectly over my size Large jacket. There are also several silver reflective strips front and back, as well as a zip pocket on the left chest that will fit cell phone, DL, and Insurance Card. An internet search has them on close out as low as $29 ( original MSRP $60+ ). I got mine at Revzilla.com, price matching another online dealer. Motorcycle Vests - RevZilla . I rarely ride without it now, and know it may or may not increase my chances of being seen, but at least I have done something proactive.

Helmet: I grew up in Illinois, just outside Chicago. In 1967 when I first started riding, not only was there a helmet law ( later repealed ) but the law also required a silver reflective tape strip be applied to the back of the helmet. The strip was about 4-5 inches long, and roughly 1.5 inches wide. I had not thought about that tape strip in years, until I got bumped from behind. The tape, I believe, is made by 3M, cheap and readily available in small quantities. As a result, and although I do not ride much at night if I can avoid it, I have been considering adding some carefully applied/positioned reflective tape strips to the back of my helmet.

Does anyone else have any experience with the High Visibility gear thing, and/or thoughts about helmet reflective strips and Hi Viz vests?

 

[tuareg]

3M makes reflective tapes in many colors. I use the black tape on my(black) helmets. This way the tape doesn't stand out a lot but is very visible at night under headlight illumination.

 

[the Ferret]

Coming from 25 years in the Highway Traffic Safety Biz, I am a firm believer in Hi Viz. clothing and reflective tape. Hi Viz is required by all street department workers and police directing traffic for a reason, it works. Hi Viz tape is required on School buses and semis. Because I have so many motorcycle jackets, I opted for a Hi Viz vest that could be worn over all of them, and the best vest IMO is made by Olympia. It's not only Hi Viz but has reflective bands as well. Runs $79.99 everywhere. Orange is not as effective as Hi Viz flo yellow green, but beats nothing. Nobody in the hiway taffic biz wears orange anymore.

I don't have any reflective tape on my CB because there isn't much surface area in the rear, but here is 3m black tape on the back of my ST

Just another tool to help keep the wolves off your back

 

[Stichill]

I'm all-in with hi-viz gear. Couple of pics on my BMW and on a rental Harley. I don't rely on it to keep my safe but I believe it cuts down on the frequency and lateness of people not seeing me.

 

[Houtman_imp]

I wear an yellow Aerostich Road Crafter jacket and over this I put a High Viz Helite Turtle Back air vest.

 

[the Ferret]

When my wife is following me someplace in the car, she always mentions how easy I am to spot in traffic with the high viz vest on. I also wear a white helmet most of the time. She never mentions the helmet though, only the vest.

 

[2017EX_imp]

When my wife is following me someplace in the car, she always mentions how easy I am to spot in traffic with the high viz vest on. I also wear a white helmet most of the time. She never mentions the helmet though, only the vest.

Thanks for the feedback Ferret. I was a Street Cop for almost 30 years, and whenever I had to direct traffic, work an accident, or anything else that put me on or near a roadway, I always wore a Hi Viz traffic vest. On the other hand, I have no previous experience as to whether the Hi Viz worn by motorcyclists gets the attention of car drivers or not. Due to my jolt experience with a distracted driver I figured it would be a worthwhile addition to my gear anyway. Positive comments like your wife made about visibility are exactly what I was looking for, and hoped for. I wear a light silver helmet, and I think I may add some neatly applied and positioned reflective tape to the back of it. Nowadays the tape comes in white, black, silver, red, yellow, and who knows what other colors, so as others have mentioned, a tape color that blends with the helmet color can be used.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

It's stunning the driver claims she didn't see you. I'm 100% in support of Hi Vis gear but she simply wasn't watching the road. Had she been watching the road, you could have been riding a tiny Honda Z-50 Mini-Trail and wearing invisible gear and she would have noticed you.

I think the issue with highway workers being killed has a lot to do with target fixation (especially when DUI is involved) rather than visibility, though again I agree the Hi Vis stuff makes complete sense.

 

[dbarkdoll_imp]

Nothing against Hi Viz AT ALL, i think its wonderful. I dont use it, but still. I think its a very good thing. I will say that a Hi Viz helmet REALLY pops to me when I see one in traffic, it's like my eyes just automatically dart to it immediately. I see Hi Viz jackets too, but not nearly as quickly and effectively as a bright yellow helmet. Prob because the helmet is just much higher up on the rider. A jacket or vest can be obscured almost completely by a windscreen/fairing. If I ever decide to get some Hi Viz gear I think a helmet would be all that I would do. If someone plows into me with that thing on, it was meant to be. Just my 2 cents.

 

[emptysea]

I don't have HiViz gear currently. I'll probably add a vest at some point. I think it's effective. I switch from a black helmet to a white one for conspicuity's sake. I did not opt for a Hi Viz helmet because I thought the white was enough contrast against my dark jacket and the bike itself--just my theory and it might not be valid. My red/black Honda jacket paired with my white helmet seems to make me pretty visible, based on comments from folks with whom I ride.

I suppose that I'm typing this partly as my own justification for not wearing the safest colors when I ride, but I do think it's valid to point out that the color of your gear is only one part of making yourself more noticeable. I learned recently (from The Ferret, actually) that "conspicuity" is really a word and that being seen is not the same as being conspicuous. Drivers will see you, but their mind may not prioritize that information unless you're relatively more conspicuous than your surroundings. Hi Viz helps that, but so does your lighting, the color of your bike, how and how when you switch positions in the roadway. And...sadly, even if up your conspicuity factor by 10, someone, someday, may still turn left in front of you.

 

[flynrider]

Nothing against Hi Viz AT ALL, i think its wonderful. I dont use it, but still. I think its a very good thing. I will say that a Hi Viz helmet REALLY pops to me when I see one in traffic, it's like my eyes just automatically dart to it immediately. I see Hi Viz jackets too, but not nearly as quickly and effectively as a bright yellow helmet. Prob because the helmet is just much higher up on the rider. A jacket or vest can be obscured almost completely by a windscreen/fairing. If I ever decide to get some Hi Viz gear I think a helmet would be all that I would do. If someone plows into me with that thing on, it was meant to be. Just my 2 cents.

Several years ago I switched from using cool color matched helmets, to bright day-glo yellow. At the time I thought a little extra visibility would be a good idea. Almost immediately afterward, I'd get comments from friends and even random people at traffic lights on how visible I was in traffic. I think having that bright color at the highest point makes it easier to see in traffic.

 

[Stichill]

Nothing against Hi Viz AT ALL, i think its wonderful. I dont use it, but still. I think its a very good thing. I will say that a Hi Viz helmet REALLY pops to me when I see one in traffic, it's like my eyes just automatically dart to it immediately. I see Hi Viz jackets too, but not nearly as quickly and effectively as a bright yellow helmet. Prob because the helmet is just much higher up on the rider. A jacket or vest can be obscured almost completely by a windscreen/fairing. If I ever decide to get some Hi Viz gear I think a helmet would be all that I would do. If someone plows into me with that thing on, it was meant to be. Just my 2 cents.

100%. This is an interesting study on the subject.

 

[dbarkdoll_imp]

Im sure most of y'all are aware of MCRider, but if not, please remedy that ASAP. He has some excellent advice on motorcycle safety, most important one being that there is ALWAYS room for improvement, no matter how long you have been riding. Anyway, this video deals with making yourself more visible to others not by wearing any particular color or gear, but by using a real cool (and free) technique:

 

[the Ferret]

I have been using " the weave" and endorsing it for years here on the forum. Also note he is wearing a hi viz jacket and white helmet. I'm thinking he didn't do that just for this video, but as a part of his full time personal safety

Being seen

 

[emptysea]

Good video. I try to change lane position and/or weave. I'm also working on adding two LED driving lights to the front of my bike (I've read that a triangle of lights makes the bike much more noticeable) and a Skene flickering tail light (I already have a pulsing brake light thanks to the generosity of The Ferret). Here's a little information related to the MCRider video and what drivers see and you can surf around there a bit to learn about their products (I'm not endorsing them, btw.) https://www.skenelights.com/conspicuity-flicker

 

[Stichill]

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Great video, thanks for posting. Compare the narrator's demeanor to those who proclaim "those cagers are out to kill bikers." I agree how he takes full responsibility for the risk inherent in motorcycling and doing what he can to ensure others notice him (given the circumstances), rather than directing the blame for mishaps elsewhere.

I once attended a safety presentation offered by a CHP motor officer. He insisted all accidents are preventable and are generally the responsibility of the motorcyclist, regardless of fault. His comments were met with disagreement but they made me reflect and I could see his point.

 

[Houtman_imp]

First time I did the "weaving" I got pulled over by a police man as he thought that I had been drinking......

 

[the Ferret]

First time I did the "weaving" I got pulled over by a police man as he thought that I had been drinking......

Seriously? What was the outcome?

As I said previously I did it in front of an Ohio Highway Patrol the meanest cops of the streets up here, and he stopped his left turn to let me go by

 

[Houtman_imp]

Outcome :no problem but he said that it could be misunderstood .