Interesting Texas Tech Study

[terryofperry]

I apologize if this has been posted previously, I found this interesting.

 

http://today.ttu.edu/posts/2013/09/psychologist-vehiclemotorcycle-accidents-possibly-linked-to-brain-miscalculations

 

Terry

[Bill_Walker]

This is part of what's addressed in the Sorry, mate, I didn't see you thread.

[Mike]

This is part of what's addressed in the Sorry, mate, I didn't see you thread.

 

That's a good thread to review.

 

The OP's link is an interesting addition to the previous discussion, in which we discussed the apparent invisibility of motorcycles to some motorists. After a car/motorcycle collision in which the driver of the cage is often cited for being "at fault," we motorcyclists often jump on our soapboxes to urge that the cager be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

 

But, really, that's not much of a solution. The simple fact is that our brains often fail us while driving, causing us to misperceive or even fail to perceive other vehicles. It's not always negligence or a lack of concern; sometimes we're betrayed by our evolutionary history, which did not equip us to deal with piloting machines that are regularly approaching each other at closing speeds well in excess of 100 m.p.h.

 

There's no sure-fire way to avoid becoming a statistic, but I tend to think that a motorcyclist always has to adopt the strategy of believing that he is invisible to other motorists. In truth, they often don't see you, or, if they do, their brains can't figure out exactly where you are or what you're doing.

[Dave_zoom_zoom]

Well said Mike!

 

Dave

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

There's no sure-fire way to avoid becoming a statistic, but I tend to think that a motorcyclist always has to adopt the strategy of believing that he is invisible to other motorists.

 

Assuming we are invisible is useful if it leads to things like covering the brakes and shedding a bit of speed when approaching busy intersections, but increasing your conspicuity goes a long way toward reducing your evasion workload and increasing the likelihood of coming home safely at the end of a ride. I think the odds of the sort of psychological miscalculation described in the Texas Tech study increase if you present as a nondescript blob that a driver may quickly assess as “a full-size car that’s quite far away.” A rider with a black helmet and riding gear riding in a straight line on a small black bike with a dingy headlight is, IMHO, inviting this sort of miscalculation. OTOH, if you’re astride a big fat bike like the RT or LT, and you’re wearing hi-viz gear, and you’ve got unusual-colored aux lighting on the forks, and you’re slaloming from side to side as you approach the other vehicle, they’re more likely to do a double-take and perform a more vigorous (and more likely correct) mental assessment of what/where you are.

 

I get drivers changing into my lane on the highway from time to time because they don’t look over their shoulder like they’re supposed to; no amount of conspicuity will improve that, so safety here is a matter of remaining vigilant and not lingering in another driver’s blind spot. But with all the conspicuity enhancement I described above, I honestly can’t remember the last time another vehicle turned or pulled out in front of me.