One helpful visual target is the road edge and painted road lines and how they visually converge into the distance. Essentially, when the lines converge in the near distance, the corner radius is tightening (decreasing) or the surface is sloping away, off-camber. If the lines converge in the far distance, then this indicates that the curve is straightening and/or is banked. There is a wide variation in how obviously the lines converge and what this means in terms of road characteristics. Even though this is an imperfect method, it can be a very powerful tool for “reading the road” so you can accurately adjust your cornering line and entry speed. For the greatest margin of safety, enter unfamiliar turns more slowly.
Be Seen
The most common statement spoken by drivers involved in a motorcycle collision is “I didn’t see him.” This is because motorcycles are smaller in size and therefore command a much less visual impact compared to every other vehicle on the road. This small physical size means that drivers may subconsciously look past the motorcycle without even seeing it. Often, this is because they do not perceive the relatively tiny object as a threat and instead focus on more “important” vehicles.
Another reason why motorcyclists are not easily seen in traffic is because motorcycles can get lost behind other vehicles, inside blind spots, and hidden by roadside objects. This is the area where riders have the most control. It is imperative that you have a sixth sense about how well you are seen by other drivers. You should be constantly evaluating your line of sight to determine whether you may be hidden from view.
It’s easy to blame a driver who cuts you off for being inattentive, but maybe you need to share some of the blame. Perhaps you weren’t using the best lane position to help the driver identify your presence. Or maybe you weren’t paying attention to how the driver was blinded by solar glare, or you were wearing inconspicuous riding gear without any reflective material. The point is that there is plenty you can do to be more visible.
One helpful visual target is the road edge and painted road lines and how they visually converge into the distance.
In Plain Sight
I’ve heard many stories of drivers cutting riders off even though the driver was looking directly at them. What would cause someone to proceed even if the rider was in plain sight? Perhaps the driver was daydreaming, has poor eyesight, or was focusing on something else behind the rider. Whatever the reason, the driver looked but did not see.
One reason people don’t see what they are looking at involves human perception. It’s widely known that humans are influenced by what they believe to be true, even if all the evidence before them points to the contrary. One example is the driver who pulls out in front of a motorcycle rider in the early days or weeks of a new riding season because he did not expect to see a motorcycle on the road. It’s understandable. The driver hasn’t seen a single motorcycle on the road during the long winter months, so, when one appears, he mentally dismisses its importance and pulls out without ever seeing the rider.
Scientific studies abound that describe perception blindness and inattentional blindness, which is when a person does not see something that is in plain sight, usually because of environment distraction. A classic example of this is demonstrated in a video produced by the University of Illinois and Harvard University that shows several people in black or white clothes passing a basketball between themselves. The viewing audience is asked to count the number of passes. As the audience focuses on the action, a man in a gorilla suit does a moonwalk across the screen. The man in the gorilla suit goes unnoticed by about half the people watching. Asking the audience to count the passes provided adequate distraction to cause many to miss what was directly in their field of view. This is what happens when a driver pulls out in front of a motorcycle, even though the driver appears to be looking directly at the rider. It also is what happens when we miss important clues that can keep us out of harm’s way.
Change blindness is similar to perception blindness. It is a term used to describe situations when someone fails to notice rather obvious changes in the environment. A Harvard University study filmed a scene with a man standing behind a counter. Prospective subjects speak with the man about participating in the study. What they don’t know is that the interaction at the counter is the study. As they discuss the requirements and fill out some paperwork the man ducks below the counter, supposedly to retrieve another form. But a different man pops up with the form in hand. Most of the subjects do not notice the switch and carry on with the conversation, even though the second man is wearing a different colored shirt and has different hair. This demonstrates how we see what we expect to see, not necessarily what is actually going on.
RIDING TERM
Change Blindness
Situations when someone fails to notice rather obvious changes in the environment.
Combat Motion Camouflage
Another phenomenon that affects our safety is motion camouflage. Motion camouflage is a term used to describe how an object can appear to be stationary to the observer, even though the object is approaching. If you ride directly toward a driver waiting at an intersection, then you risk appearing to be stationary against the distant landscape.
You can combat this by gradually moving from one side of your lane to the other to cross the driver’s field of vision. Choose an approach angle that creates the greatest contrast of motion between you and the background. Even a lane width is often enough to separate you from the landscape and alert drivers that you are in motion and help them more accurately judge your approach speed.
FIGURE 3.2
Avoid Motion Camouflage by gradually moving across the driver’s field of vision.
Get Conspicuous
I mentioned earlier how the most reliable strategy for being seen is to be more visible. A driver who sees you and is able to accurately judge your speed and distance is much less likely to pull out in front of you.
Sound is not a very reliable way to be noticed. This is why installing loud pipes is not a great strategy for increasing safety. Sure, loud pipes will increase the likelihood that drivers will know you are in the vicinity, but don’t be fooled into thinking that sound will help a driver locate where you are in traffic. Thankfully, there are other strategies for being conspicuous.
It is important to be aware of other vehicles around you and to communicate your presence and intent and to act predictably to minimize miscommunication. Failure to consider what you’re communicating—or not communicating—can precipitate an accident. For instance, only using engine braking to slow and not activating your brake light until you are almost stopped can easily result in the driver behind you reacting too late and hitting you. (More about avoiding rear-end collisions is discussed in a later chapter.)
Turn signals are effective attention-getters as well as communicators of intent. Turn signals need to be activated early enough to give drivers plenty of time to respond. It’s not much help to signal at the same instant you push on the grip. A good rule of thumb is to signal at least 3 seconds before slowing to turn or change lane position. Indicate that you are going to change speed or direction…and then pause. If you don’t have time to pause, then you are waiting too long to indicate your intentions and putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
FIGURE 3.3
Figure 3.3 illustrates dynamic lane position— this means continually moving from the left, center, and right portions of the lane as necessary to see and be seen and provide a space cushion from hazards.
Lane Position to Be Seen
We talked a bit earlier about how lane position affects how well you can see past cars ahead. Well, lane position has an equally important role in helping drivers see you in traffic.
Lane position is dynamic