Interesting video, as a volunteer instructor we advise trainees on this subject as early in their training as CBT. We also teach about peripheral vision. When a car is wanting to pull out into a major road from a minor road the driver will look left and right (well should do) there may be a car, van or lorry approaching and decide they have time to pull out but not notice the bike in front of it, their vision is fixated on the larger vehicle in the distance. When I see a car wanting to pull out from my left I change my riding position to position 3 from 2, I.E. from centre of my lane to closer to the central line in the road. That way the driver doesn't have to turn there head as much to see you, they first catch a glimpse out the corner of their eye and then full vision as their head continues to turn.
Treat all Cagers as possible assassins..……work on the assumption Cagers don’t see you, even if you’re lit up like a Christmas tree they don’t….worked for me for nearly sixty years
As a former Roads Policing Officer my opinion is, if by wearing high viz you get a sense of self reassurance then wear high viz but never become complacent. The general standard of driving in the UK is alarming. Ride defensively, always ride your own ride and do not be coerced by others to exceed your ability.
I absolutely agree. UK drivers are some of the most careless I have seen in any country. I did my "Standard Car Course" with the Kent Police. While learning on that course, we saw hundreds of careless manoeuvres from regular motorists every day, most were harmless, but it really did make me re-evaluate how I drove myself and it has translated into my motorcycling in my retirement. Expect "The Others" to do something careless and you will be prepared!
For me I wear a white helmet, I wear a hi-viz/reflective vest in low light or night riding, I ride assuming I am invisible at all times, when approaching a junction with vehicle(s) pulling out, I glance at the wheels to see if they are moving, I also like to get brief eye contact with the driver(s) if possible. Another important discipline is to not drive too close to the vehicle in front. Bottom line is to use every means to anticipate, which will enable yourself every opportunity to avoid or stop. Ride safe all
I've heard good things about white helmets to be fair! I have heard that they work really well for visibility but I haven't researched anything in particular
@@SaffySprocket I remember seeing a video where they had a rider in a white helmet, then showed the same rider in a black helmet and the white helmet stood out against the urban background better.
The copper teaching the BikeSafe session I attended made an interesting point. If you are going to wear high-viz, then make it big. Like a rain jacket that is just one big block of colour. Vests, belts and multi-coloured clothing break up your outline, and can make you less visible. He also recommended pink rather than yellow or green. He showed photos to prove it. He also said that If you want to make yourself seen, make sure you are moving across the car driver's line of sight - so you are moving across the background as he sees it. The way you do that is to make sure, from your perspective, that the background behind him is moving relative to his position. If this is already the case, do nothing. If his background is static, start moving across the lane. Also, the first clue you have that he is pulling out is when you see his wheels start to rotate. You will notice this before you notice the general motion of the car. If you don't have time to get all this sorted in a particular situation, you are riding too fast. All that said, most people will see you whatever. Some people won't. Maybe high-viz shifts that number in your favour, but it won't be 100%. So, everyone, get on that advanced riding course anyway. You know, the one you've been thinking of for the last few months....
I work in breakdown and accident recovery and a lot of the time the first thing you will hear at an accident is either I wasn't spending. Or i didn't see it/ them/ that . Human error is nearly always the top reason usually in combination with conditions, road surface light weather natural or other obstructions to visibility. Working at the side of a motorway we obviously have to use hi viz, h & S , insurance etc and yet we still get close calls normally people rubber necking. There is no doubt a clean hi viz jacket or vest makes you stand out but once a person jumps in a car sets the heat and which music to listen too, taking to passengers or thinking about anything rather than concentrating on driving Then accidents happen , hiviz or not. ridiculing a rider for using it is a bit childish as is telling others they should If they don't, it's a personal choice if you feel safer go for it if you don't, don't. Like any thing in life when you break it down, living is a dangerous occupation .
RyanF9 on FortNine channel did a video about the crashes in junctions a couple months ago; "How Pigeons Explain a Common Motorcycle Crash". Interesting watch in itself. Apparently there are two big reasons. First, a lot of drivers turn their heads so little that they actually see the crossing road with only one eye, making noticing and evaluating distance and speed of approaching objects harder. Second, motorcycles are tall and narrow shaped when looked from the front which makes them harder to spot to begin with, but also makes their size appear pretty much the same until they are close.
On a Bike Safe course a trainer told me one of simplest ways to be seen by emerging cars is to move your position on approach. A static positioned bike gets looked past, if you alter your position, a car is more likely to spot the movement. The other issue I have encountered in my job is that a lot of older drivers just can’t see properly, as a glasses wearer I have my eyes tested every two years, this should be mandatory for all road users
The gorilla test is a perfect comparison. Car drivers aren't scanning for motorbikes. They are scanning for cars. When my brother was learning to drive a car, I taught him NOT to scan for cars, but only for bicycles. That technique makes you scan all of the road, including the gutter channels. It's also a good technique for pedestrians.
i just looked up the gorilla test video and saw the gorilla right away, even while counting the passes. it really isn't that difficult to spot a biker, really. motorcycle, pedal bike, or e-bike. i've been driving for over 13 years and never had an issue with seeing them. the times i've didn't see them were 1) they were going exceptionally fast (which is the biker's fault), and 2) they were wearing literally all black at night with NO headlight, taillight or reflective anything (though this only applied to pedal bikes since motorcycles always have lights). and this has never happened to me but i imagine motorcyclists who lane split and go fast while doing it will significantly increase their chances of getting hit by someone switching lanes.
From what I was taught when I did some advanced driving lessons was that, drivers don't look for hazards they just don't see a car. They see a gap in the road and don't look. After I had learned this, I adjusted my riding to counter the unexpected. Coming to pass a junction, I would back off the throttle, prepare to brake and give myself as much clear line of sight as possible. If I wasn't sure a car had seen me, I'd use my horn after all that's what it's for. I know this isn't fool proof but being prepared for a situation gives you more time to react and hopefully escape to safety.
Another good thing to google is dazzle camouflage which was used on ships during the war, they didn’t make any attempt to hide the ships, instead they used bright colours. This was to used to confuse the enemy as to the size of the ship, it’s speed and also it’s direction. The same can be applied to being too brightly coloured and using headlamps on motorcycles. It is very difficult to accurately judge distance on vehicles with bright headlamps. Maybe those that were hit confused the bikes speed. Another thing that was noted during the war with pilots was that they saw things better if they moved their eyes rather than their heads to keep their eyes peeled as when you look at something directly if it is approaching it remains in your vision for a long time, which could be interpreted by your brain that it is a actually going slower than it really is.
Another good thing to google is dazzle camouflage which was used on ships during the war, they didn’t make any attempt to hide the ships, instead they used bright colours. This was to used to confuse the enemy as to the size of the ship, it’s speed and also it’s direction. The same can be applied to being too brightly coloured and using headlamps on motorcycles. It is very difficult to accurately judge distance on vehicles with bright headlamps. Maybe those that were hit confused the bikes speed. Another thing that was noted during the war with pilots was that they saw things better if they moved their eyes rather than their heads to keep their eyes peeled as when you look at something directly if it is approaching it remains in your vision for a long time, which could be interpreted by your brain that it is a actually going slower than it really is.
You don't want to be going any faster than the normal speed of traffic on that road. Even if they see you, most people won't give themselves the time to judge your speed, so if it looks like you're far away they pull out.
I was told not so long ago that because the yellow hi viz is so common place these days that people just don't see or ignore it and that if your going to wear any hi viz the pink one is the better option
There is a great Fortnine TH-cam video on “why” motorists don’t see bikes, I’d suggest everyone watches it. My view on it as a 35 year commuter into London is that they cannot hurt therefore I wear one. If it stops one traffic cop noting “not wearing hi-viz” in his notebook as you are carted away in an ambulance and the subsequent insurance questions, that’s good enough for me.
Ultimately It takes no effort to wear a hi-vis and although the research is currently inconclusive, it doesn't mean a benefit doesn't exist, it just means we don't have the research to back it up yet. On a cost benefit basis, it makes sense to wear a hi-vis
You are spot on Saffy. I say to myself each time I go for a ride. "No one will see me, so I have to see everyone. I'm invisible!" At least it works for me, just to remember. 🙂
The reasoning behind Hi-Viz is related to peoples ability to perceive difference between colours and it depends how many colour receptors a persons eyes have. The idea is that a drivers attention may be caught with Hi-Viz as the colour is very different to the surroundings and to limit how much a rider blends in to the background. Hi-Viz is not supposed to counter inattentional blindness. It can only help to prevent accidents involving difficulty seeing a motorcyclist against a the background. The reason that 12% still had accidents would be because a Hi-Viz vest does not aid prevention of all types of accident. The simple answer is that Hi-viz vests are worth wearing because they may help to prevent a specific type of accident which helps to lower overall risk but it is the riders choice whether they do or don't.
seems to me the highest point and usually the first visible is the helmet coming towards you - a bright helmet is a must. Riding lights also work for me - overall hi viz optional. My pet hate is black jacket, black trousers, black bike....
Hi Saffy, I have an Oxford High Visibility Waistcoat with elasticated sides and a front zip, with an airtex lining. It hugs my body shape, doesn't flap about and it feels 'snug'. I find the cheaper ones annoying when they blow about and they must annoy other road users as well. I wear textile jackets which tend to have grey or red panels on a black base colour. If the kit makes me more visible it is a bonus, especially from the side or flank and I move about on the road to increase my visibility when approaching hazards. After 50 years of riding, all I can say is it works for me. Hi Vis has not always been available. It's a matter of personal choice that I would never wear all black. If what I do helps others to see me, the effort has been worth it. Stay safe.
Ultimately It takes no effort to wear a hi-vis and although the research is currently inconclusive, it doesn't mean a benefit doesn't exist, it just means we don't have the research to back it up yet. On a cost benefit basis, it makes sense to wear a hi-vis
When I first rode, I wore a black leather jacket. Within the first week I noticed cars constantly pulling out in front of me at junctions so I put a yellow high viz jacket with long sleeves (the whole jacket was high viz) over the biker jacket and the problem was immediately solved. I still slow down at junctions and expect trouble but I think high viz definitely works.
When it is absolute horrid weather, yes they work, my waterproof is completely yellow from a mountain shop, two sizes up and fits well over my motorcycle jackets
my experience with hi=viz is from 30 years ago. Before I got a bike (leather) jacket I rode in whatever. Then one day I put on my wind breaker and it was neon green....i saw and experienced the cars acting differently around me. After taking bike safety classes they didn't mention hi-viz at all (again, 30 years ago). BUT they did bring up the point, from a study if I recall, that to be more visible on a bike be more 'one color' - a bike like yours - white, black, pink, etc is essentially camoflage compared to you and the bike being all one color.
That’s really interesting, Chris! 😄 I’ve heard mixed things about hi-viz, but it’s cool you noticed a difference with that neon green jacket! Sounds like you were ahead of the curve! 🚦
As a former police motorcycle officer I found that driving with my highbeams during daytime did lower the amount of cars pulling out in front of me. Also I found having additional rear & side lighting helped tremendously, especially if you are riding a bike that has the traditional single rear taillight.
A recent study showed that two rear signal lights that were also used as running lights confused auto drivers into thinking it was a auto in the distance and they rear ended the motorcycle that was much closer than perceived to be!
I ride a yellow bike, with a jacket that has the safety vest color strip about 3 inches wide on the torso and the arms at about chest height and then down the arms on a black background. They still don't see you, sometime people are just in a bubble when they are in a car.
You can never eliminate all accidents, but you can reduce the number, and outcome of them. People still die in car accidents despite wearing a seat belt, but not in the same number as without.
Oooh. One of your best videos yet! I love how you look at it objectively instead of just plastering yourself with hi-viz and telling the audience it’s for safety. Objective and nicely researched….well done
as someone that had to wear hi viz at work on the railway I have found that in the countryside on long relatively straight sections especially at night it works, but the road is not the railway, hi viz is just another colour on the road amongst a multitude of colours and goes unnoticed for the most part, especially in towns and cities, also if they are not looking they are not going to see any sort of colour anyway, also whatever you wear it doesn't show up when there is a bend or objects restricting what can be seen, in other words we can't see around corners, there is also an argument that the eye picks up on black and dark objects as it stands out as a negative space to the eyes and subconscious, arguments for and against but these are my real world observations as someone who has had to use hi viz, I have always ridden with my lights on and that is enough for me, if they don't see my lights then they are not going to see anything else because they obviously aren't looking
I agree that the surveys are confusing, so I go by what my brain processes; I tend to see fluorescent jackets when I am navigating landscapes - one worker wearing one in a group will stand out from the rest. For this reason, I always wear a yellow or orange fluorescent jacket when riding, as well as a white or yellow helmet. But, such is my confidence of other road users to see me, I always ride as if am wearing black clothes on a bike with no lights...and use the other techniques mentioned in the comments. I think the statistics make it worth wearing a fluorescent jacket.
Morning Saffy, i have only recently discovered your blogs and have binged watch so many i cant count :D content is amazing and i love the detail you go into compared to other bloggers, ive had to many close calls with other vehicles not seeing me, i have pin stripe wheels built in hi-vis reflectors on my jacket bright luminous helmet ans still not seen, i often wounder why other countrys are able to customise there motorbikes so much more than we can, i like the idea of having leds on my bike (not flashing) but enough to catch the eye of other vehicles and be seen :D loving the content keep up the amazing work :D :D
I remember when Volvo first started displaying day time running lights. My boss complained about this “stupid” New feature and each time he saw one he moaned about it. My only comment was you haven’t missed seeing one yet!
The bikers super power of invisibility! A quick experiment to try at home, hold your hand straight out in front of your face (in your line of sight) now, without moving your hand, turn your head to look to your left, next turn your head to look to your right. The question is when scanning from left to right did you really see your hand? Exactly what a car driver sees (or doesn't) when looking to pull out from a junction. I know scary isn't it?
@@SaffySprocket If you're not sure about a blind spot you can move your head forwards and backwards to help you see better. The A pillar, or as some people call it, the windscreen pillar is the blind spot that causes most accidents on roundabouts. That's an ideal one where moving backwards and forwards helps. I was a driving instructor for 10 years and I seen countless cars pulling onto roundabouts because the driver just glanced to the right instead of having a good look.
For me I notice many workers on the road due to their reflective gear way far compared to plane clothes. I understand that real world problems are multi dimensional and translating them to statistics are not as easy. However the Hi-Vis did help me notice others on the road, so I wear it thinking others will have a higher chance to notice me.
The research is interesting on hi-vis. In built-up areas the yellow hi-vis is much less effective than pink hi-vis. The reason for this is the proliferation of yellow hi-vis in these areas. It's almost become so commonplace that we cognitively disregard the cues.
A couple of years ago I saw the optical illusion of a friend on an adventure bike disappear in bright sunlight against a green hedge. In my work w are are required to wear hi viz in certain areas. After this incident we went to pink hi viz. our studies showed us that pink stood out far better than any other. Oddly I’ve found that if I go into the hi viz areas at work without hi viz the H&S police always see me. I do wear a pink hi viz on my bike. There’s been a few too many smidsys in my life, one resulting in injuries, the rest just being close calls.
@@brucecurtis4267 I work as a pilot, we’re required to wear hi viz anytime we’re airside, it’s often been said that we’re more visible in daylight without, but H&S forced the rule through in 1996 and we’ve been stuck with it since. The guy who “disappeared” was wearing green hi viz in bright sunlight, against a brightly lit hedge. He went from shadow, where I could see him clearly at about 300m, to bright light, where he “disappeared” including his headlight, back to shadow where he disappeared again. I went to pink hi viz as it’s an unnatural colour and stays visible in all lighting, against all backgrounds. I’m all for being as visible as possible on a bike, but really believe the green isn’t as safe as H&S, or others would have us believe.
I do not wear them, however i have choosen to buy a light grey jacket, a blue helm, and a black motorcycle, so i am hoping the contrast works. As for intersections, i also did the research where i live, and got to the same result. The 2 biggest accident brackets are intersections and driving to fast or overjudging your own ability. So for intersections i always try to see if a driver makes "eye-contact" (ie. looking in my direction), if i am unshure, i start to weave, when its possible (i read that that unusual movement makes them more aware), if i am still unsure release throttle or tap front brake slightly to slow down - so that i can do an emergency stop in an appropiate timefrime or have an escape root, in the case it he pulls out. And yes, every ride i train a full emergency stop. (sidestory: even after you got your drivers licence here where i live (austria) , you have to do 2 courses after half a year. The first one is like a technical day on closed track. We did emergency brakes there, and out of all the 10 people my stopping distance was (by a long run) the best (on all different speeds). He asked me how i was doing so well, i said i train every time i go for a ride (exept commuting). Was a pretty good feeling to know, that these self training things really help (thanks motojitsu!). thanks for your video, ride safe saffy. o/
I ride a white BMW r1200rt with hi vis vest and white helmet. It looks like a police bike. ...and car drivers are so very much more delicate about how they drive....They actually drive properly...and nd drive slower and pull over. It's not hi vis...its looking like a police bike
Looking but not seeing is what I've always called it. Years ago I fitted a rear fog light to my gs550 as I was fed up of cars nearly ramming me off on the way to work in low visibility.
If you can be seen you are invisible. If you are invisible you can be seen 🤷♂️ I’m 6’6 and wore a hi-viz jacket in winter on my walk to get the train for work, every morning 6am I would get to the zebra crossing by the station and drivers would not see me waiting to cross. But if I was in full black they would stop every time? 🤷♂️
Really depends if the driver was looking in the first place, Drivers don't tend to be looking around with an image of a motorbike in there mind either, unlike a car which is more common in most countries & simply don't see us. I have rode both with & without Hi-Vis. I really don't notice any difference in driver behavior. The best Hi-Vis safety "equipment" is to assume you are invisible. In 33 yrs of riding I have had 1 collision T boning a pickup that pulled out (no indication) from the side of the road blocking both lanes. While he was at fault, I looked at what mistake I may have made & concluded that it was assuming he had seen me. Stay safe.
Hi Saffy As an HGV Driver for 40 years Hi Viz jacket, the better you can be seen the safer the biker will be,it's human error the amount of people just drive out of side roads, they don't even look, sitting in an HGV you can see this from where we sit !!!
I'd say the best thing is ride with your lights on at all times. if you're riding a bike with a fairing, your body is not that visible from the front. I find that car drivers are looking for cars, not bikes, and even if they see you, it somehow doesn't seem to register with them.
Hi Saffy, I think it's one of those subjects with so many reasons for motorists failing to see motorcyclists that are approaching, if it's broken down logically the more you can make yourself, and your motorcycle visible the lesser the chance of being missed. But unfortunately even with all those precautions in place we are still missed. It then puts the onus back on the motorcyclist to be even more observant in identifying the threats you face reading the road ahead and taking the appropriate measures to reduce your own risk. It should not have to be like this, but it is a fact we are very vulnerable. But motorcycles are amazing and I for one are willing to take that risk for the sheer pleasure it gives me. PS a white crash helmet is best. Thanks Saffy very interesting
I agree worn white ones for years deffo makes a difference or even better some of the flouro coulored ones, flouro pink saffy to match your crash bars.....?
I speak from the perspective of a former driver instructor, and police officer who has attended to numerous traffic collisions. I heard a rumour, once, on some internet moto forum, that if one wears a hi vis jacket, and a white helmet, on a motorcycle, the vast majority of drivers in the western world take a second, third, and fourth look at you... Because they are programmed to look out for the motorcycle traffic cop. I have no idea on the any stats behind this, but I can speak to my anecdotal observations: Car drivers think I'm the police, and slow down near me. I will still, always, assume that I am invisible on my motorcycle, because I do understand physics, and injuries, and I want to make it home safely to my wife and child, every day. Also, should I survive a non-fatal incident vs a car, I can stand in civil court and show the "reasonable man" what I was wearing, and what my video cameras showed the other road user doing, as they hit me. Hi vis is NOT perfect, and never will be - But it is a tool in the tool box. Sent from western Canada. Ride safe, all.
I have a Hi-viz flip up helmet, I have noticed the difference when wearing it, I too think it's an initial assumption I'm Plod when drivers first look.
There is a phenomenon called "Hi-Vis clutter" which says that there are so many road users, Police, Ambulance, Fire, Road Workers, Road Signs etc, etc that are dressed up in Hi Vis that we as motorcyclists become effectively invisible amongst it all.
Not only road users, how many people do you see everyday doing their normal duties, it could even be delivering mail, wearing a hi-viz. WHY ???? We have become PPE lazy, that is, wear every god damn bit of PPE you can find and nothing can surely happen to you.
The HSE has an article on "hi vis blindness" in relation to workplaces over using hi vis in lieu of proper risk assessments and processes. With the first question usually asked after an incident "were you wearing your hi vis?" like it's some sort of magical forcefield.
Thank you for an informed and intelligent upload on the subject. Statistics can be so misleading. If, for example, 80% of car drivers injured in accidents ARE wearing a seatbelt might make you think seatbelts are dangerous. However, when you consider 99% of drivers wear seatbelts you can see the 1% not wearing a seatbelt are FAR MORE likely to be injured in a collision than a driver wearing their seatbelt. (The % quoted are for illustration only)
Great video. My 2 cents- I purchased a Helite airbag vest that also happens to be hi viz. I don’t wear it all the time as I found it far too hot to wear in Australian summers. What I have found when I do wear the vest is that I am more visible to drivers, however as the drivers can clearly see me they pull out in front of me anyway! I think this is the missing piece of the puzzle in the data you mentioned where 12% of riders in accidents are wearing hi viz. I find the same thing when driving my car which is a grey colour. If I use my headlights during the day I get people pulling out in front of me because they CAN see me. I’m still undecided about the benefits of hi viz but leaning towards good road positioning and using the bikes headlight flasher as I approach cars on side streets as a better option. For wet weather and night time riding I would add hi viz to the mix.
If they can't see a headlight approaching, it doesn't matter what you're wearing, it might as well be a clown suit. The only way I've survived over 50 years of riding is by always assuming they haven't seen me and preparing to take evasive action. Even that hasn't always worked, as my x-rays will show.
Always ride as if you’re completely invisible. Even if a driver is staring your direction, assume you’re an invisible rider. This helps me prepare for the unexpected. I don’t ride besides a car assuming they’ll change lanes without warning. I space myself from the vehicle ahead in case they brake suddenly. Giving yourself a few more seconds to react may mean the difference of giving you more years to live.
@2:00 the reason they did that is because insurance companies would do ANYTHING to not pay the insurance. I don't wear high viz jackets, I do however wear a very light grey jacket and a white helmet and my rain gear has high viz parts.
Most people don't "judge" speed. They look for a tiny split-second, they see how far away an object is and assume whether they can or can't go. It takes about a second of observing an object to remotely figure out how fast it's coming at you (less if you have more information and training, i.e. in sports) and you just don't get that sort of time when you only allow yourself a quick glance. This is where speed limits, particularly in towns, come in handy. Contrary to what the anti-speed lobby insist on, slower isn't better. What's important is consistency. You get used to the speed of traffic in areas you frequent, so 9 times out of 10 not taking the time to judge an approaching object's speed is fine - your brain already has a map of that view and it knows where is far enough and where is too close. Same goes for roundabouts, etc. When you have a small object approaching you at say twice the usual speed on that road, your brain can't tell the difference in that split-second glance. All it knows is "far enough away - GO!". But it wasn't far enough away... Not at twice that speed. You get the same exact issue on motorways, by the way. People are expecting that if you're about to overtake them, you'll be approaching at a certain slightly higher speed than what they're doing. Typically overtaking traffic could be going up to 85mph with no issues. Any faster than that though, and one runs into the same issue - the approaching traffic appears far enough away for one to pull out into the next lane up, except that guy's doing 130 and he's right on top of you before you've completed the lane change. That's where it's the speeders' responsibility to look far enough ahead, anticipate other road users' behaviour and have a backup plan for every eventuality. And to not go faster than they can see. Most boy racers don't have that level of judgement and aren't particularly interested in learning. That'd be where the main "speed kills" issue stems from. In my opinion, a much more effective solution (than speed cameras) to this particular problem would be to introduce a "high speed" extension to the driving license, renewed every 6 or 12 months, entitling those of us who can demonstrate the required level of judgement to fully exercise the needle on the speedo where conditions permit (and there's no local speed limit in place).
TBH I worked for Road Safety and when having a chat with people who are completing their CBT or even DAS mod1 &2 it was always mentioned to try to wear a hiviz vest or Hiviz jacket. We always mentioned that most motorist are bike blind so you could be a all in one flashing beacon riding a bike and they will still not see. So it’s up to you. I wear adventure clothing which is bright and have flashes of neon yellow and still motorists miss me. Nice channel by the way
I wear one as I have to for my job and I also wear a white helmet (cheaper than the black at the time) however it doesnt seem to make you any more visible to other road users from my experience even when I have headlights on not just drl's. People still pull out on you and cut you up, Its not that the biker wasnt seen because of a lack of hi vis or drl's, its that the other road users are simply not looking or not paying attention/distracted for whatever reasons when they should be looking and concentrating on the road. Usually distracted by their phones or are eating or drinking from what I see on the roads. Just my observations and experience.
Yes i teach my students to be as visable as possible, ftom high viz to road position etc. However the way i see it is, car drivers aren't even looking for cars, they're looking for the gaps between them for the space they want. Another way to see it, is the smaller the object the harder it is to see and the harder it is to judge its speed and distance. I specifically asked the boss for a pink hiviz for work as in my opinion its the most uncommon colour on the road.
Where I live on the Isle of Wight . Wearing high vis does work especially in the Summer when we have droves of grockles descending on us ( they suffer from , I’m on holiday syndrome. Why should I look where I going I’m relaxing etc 😂😂) I’ve found that as taught by my iam . Make yourself seen when approaching a side junction.weave a bit , from area 2 to four , it catches the car drivers eye and of course cover you’re brakes .ps great vlog 😊😊👍👍
Lights always work better than color, lights with color, now that could be best. I see one rider on a Ninja 400 regularly, his high beam is that ‘hyper-yellow’ color, really stands out well. Which is another thing: in daytime always use the high-beams !
We get hit because people don’t look. I know someone who pulled out of a parking spot and into the path of a skip lorry. You could have painted it in hiviz yellow and they still would have hit the lorry simply because they did not look. Good video very interesting results.
Well Miss Saffron, it must have been like banging your head against a brick wall trying make sense of any of these recommendations. The headlight one comes to mind. When I first started riding in 1964, no helmets or protective clothing as such and certainly no headlights on continuously. The headlight thing has cancelled itself out, as every vehicle now has them on all the time. Of course, people using their mobile phones whilst driving is a concern. A woman coming around a bend whilst on a mobile phone, nearly took me out when I was riding my old Honda, luckily, I swerved out of the way. All the best😊👍🏍
Good video and a topic which will split the biking community. Hi Vis is good, the problem is that everyone is so used to seeing standard Hi Vis that it no longer stands out. I ride a black bike which is not great at being spotted, however i wear a bright orange helmet and a very yellow Hi vis vest the 2 clash so badly you can not help but spot it. The more unusual the colours the more noticeable you become, having said that if you are right up the exhaust pipe of the vehicle in front of you then no matter how much hi vis you wear you are blocked from anyone else’s view. Ride defensively, give space between yourself and any other vehicles ahead of you. Change your positioning on the road, we have the advantage of being more manoeuvrable. When approaching a junction slow down, change position to allow for a driver to have a better view of you, the change in positioning should alert them to your presence. Assume no one sees you and think for them, as far as most car, van and lorry divers go they are the only users of the road. There are courses out the run you the Police (Road Safe) and the Fire Service (Fire Bike) they are worth doing and will give you lots of new information and advice. Ride safe, be seen and have fun 👍
I think your conclusion is right, this week during about 20 miles driving my Car two Cars have pulled out in front of me and three pedestrians have stepped into the road in front of me, one with a dog so you don't even need a motorcycle to prove 'unintentional blindness' is simply intentional bad driving, presumably the pedestrians are the same they just don't have a Car yet. I think my first lesson in training back in 1979 was 'never trust anyone else on the road' so I had it covered 43 years ago, the only time I wore a hi-vis vest. I also saw a driver today wait for my wheels to turn in to a left turn before he pulled out although I was indicating left so he obviously rode a motorcycle or was trained to drive safely and applied the same basic rule to me, a list of good driving is probably slightly longer for those same 20 miles.
If all car drivers were bikers first then it would be a safer place for bike riders. The concentration and observation required to ride a bike is far greater than in a car. It is not just about visibility but about The connection with your vehicle. In a car you have multiple non functional distractions AIr conditioning ,radio, phone etc. on a bike you have none of that just the controls and the environment you are in, like looking for diesel patches or off camber corners or car drivers who don’t even look for you yet alone see you. I will post a video of an accident I had a few years ago when after I was helped up by a passer by and accused by them that I would have been ok if I was in hi vis. The video showed the driver did not even look my way so even if I was lite up like Blackpool illuminations they would not have seen me.
In one interesting, though informal, 1-week test I read about, years ago, the most-favored protection for bikers seemed to be gained by riding a white bike with windshield and wearing gear that resembles that of motorcycle cops in your area. I would simply go with a Hi-Viz helmet.
Good food-for-thought vid Saf. Like what has been said by others, attitudes towards driving / riding has changed for the worse for sure. I think the best we can do is don’t assume, don’t just think I have the right of way. No point shouting he was in the wrong as your being rushed into A & E with a brain bleed. Wear a high vis, make sure your headlight is big and bright, fit auxiliary lights. Assume no one has seen you, watch cars wheels at junctions are they moving or stationary, move to lane position 3 if it’s safer to do so as you approach junctions. Touch wood everyone gets home safely 👍
Hi Saffy I do have fluorescent panels on my otherwise black jacket just because I think every little helps. But! Wow I watched the invisible gorilla and that does make you think.what you have to do to be seen. My mantra is to treat everyone else on the road with great suspicion and expect the worst and ride accordingly. Ride safe and enjoy . All the best Marc 👍👍
Ride your ride, do what makes you feel safe. There's no correct 100% safe way to ride a motorbike, we just do what works for us. I've got a mate who rides an R1 in shorts, t shirt and old trainers - he's never had an accident, so maybe he's the one who's doing it right. I'm no safety expert, you just called me by name and I answered!
Once I read an article about "accidents around 17h-19h, during these hours of the day, drivers should be more careful because of the light (penumbra). Greetings from ZH
There was an inquiry about 10 years back in Victoria/Australia into compulsory wearing Hi-Vis on a motorcycle,the findings found that wearing Hi-Vis in cities and towns on a motorcycle, that there is so much Hi-Vis already being worn by construction workers and a multitude of other outdoor workers on the street that wearing Hi-vis on a motorcycle in these areas was of no advantage, in fact the rider tended to blend in with hi-vis workers, there by making the motorcycle invisible
I look at it this way. If a TMA safety wehicle can get hit with all those flashing lights and bright colour. Me wearing a Hi-Vis west on the bike makes no difference. I just put it in my sidebag for the reason of wearing it if I break down at night.
ORANGE hi vis works better for bikes. Especially in Europe with its leafy surroundings. Yellow can blend in. As many lights as are legal on your bike A white helmet Change position if approaching cars coming out of junctions (a driver is more likely to see an object move out of position in peripheral vision) As loud an exhaust as is legal/you can get away with. Keep your distance from vehicles Give WAY more distance than you think you need to stop while braking Assume NOBODY can see you If filtering, do so very slowly, you’ll still get where you’re going faster than any car in the line of traffic. You do not need to speed. You’re not Rossi, you don’t need to be travelling at ridiculous speeds , don’t need 58degree lean angles etc.
My thoughts are this… most drivers only care about themselves. Today I was traveling on a dual carriage way and a motorway, keeping a safe (2 second distance) from the vehicle in front. On three occasions I was undertaken by multiple cars. So they had seen me because they moved into the near side rather than driving into me, but didn’t care enough to ease off and give me any space. This happens every single time I’m on a multi-lane road, either on a motorcycle, a motorhome, a car or a van towing a trailer. The same for junctions. In fact in the bigger the vehicle I drive the more likely someone is to pull out on me! Either the driving test/instruction needs to change or people’s attitudes to other people (road users).
I have a hi-vis jacket that I wear for long tours or if the weather is bad. Since you see hi-viz everywhere now here in the US a think it has lost it’s impact for standing out. Example: road construction zones are well marked, coned, barrel usage etc and road workers in hi-viz get killed by drivers who “didn’t see” the construction site……we’re are own best safety device.
Helmet colour is much more important to being seen than a high vis vest as the majority of the vest is seen to the rear when being worn, frontal vest visibility is generally reduced due to fairings, screens headlights etc….
I love your vids but haven't seen all of them yet. If you haven't done it already get yourself signed up for a Police Bike Safe course. They help you perceive a lot of the questions you have here. I'm going on one soon. The last one I went on was in the 1980s; never too old to learn.
Ride like your invisible, because nobody is going to see you. My wake up moment to this was when I still had my ZX-10R, I was on a four lane road and sitting in the left lane at a stop light and the driver of the car to my right rolls down his window and he and his girlfriend compliment my bike for a good 10 to 15 seconds. The light turns green and I'm still right beside his window, no sooner than we get through the intersection he begins to merge into me. I tap his shoulder as his window is still down and scare the shit out of him, I give him a universal WTF gesture as he swerves back into the right lane. The driver knew I was there, we had a brief conversation. He still tried to merge into me.
as someone who has ridden motorcycles for 20+ yrs and camping on my motorcycle i have found that i wear bright colored riding gear for my own safety as i am a smaller vehicle on the road and also the fact that if a driver isn't paying attention it at least gets their attention i also ride in the US and i see many driver being distracted by cellphones. That being said i'm also very hyper aware of other motorist while i'm riding so i don't put myself in a bad spot while riding
Hi Saffy, new to your site and really enjoy the videos. I like to look of your what looks like gel seat. I own a 2003 Africa twin which I love but the seat makes my poor bum numb after only an hour's riding, it's so uncomfortable!! Don't want to replace the whole thing, can you tell me where you got yours from please? ps. you ought to come to Southern France to ride, empty roads and lovely scenery and NO potholes. Take care and stay safe!
Hey. Love your adventures and misadventures 🫶🏻 I’ve learnt so much including what not to do ☺️ and I can relate so much to u. I did wonder in this video that u hadn’t mentioned about saccadic masking. I learnt this on a bike safe course and it’s super interesting and massively contributes to why people including us don’t see things. And of course the hi-viz colour can play a part. But ultimately I believe drivers don’t look for bikes (even bicycles) ….they look for other cars. I was suggested to also try move from side to side (when riding) as this can also draw attention to our visibility being increased. I’ve been a driver for 20 yrs and still find people cars and bikes pulling out / misjudging my speed and riding for 2 yrs and the same. But yet very lucky to have never had an accident but able to avoid MANY! Keep up the awesome content and ride safe ✌🏻🙌🏻❤️
I drive and ride and suffer the same issue of cars pulling out regardless. Both my vehicles have either DRL or full headlights on. Some drivers just don't look, others don't make any attempt to judge your speed and others just don't care because they are selfish. Then there are those of course who aren't concentrating on their driving because they are on the phone or reading a text or are distracted by other occupants of the car. My advice is to slow down and to make eye contact with the driver so you know they have seen you. Watch their wheels as that will give you the earliest warning that they are pulling out. I'm not saying hi viz doesn't work, it just won't work if a driver isn't making any attempt to see you.
I'd agree with other commentors that Hi-Viz in the rain is a wise choice. There are so many variables regarding a 2 vehicle crash that it's easy to say "if only...." there might have been a different outcome. Biker's experience a higher danger level than most people's life experience but if your numbers up it's up :) People die in car accidents every day yet there is far less emphasis on RTA's for cars as there deamed "safer than bikes". It's an interesting topic, Great video Saffy.
I don't wear hi vis vest, because it is covers my patches what i collected during the jackets life span, every patch is a memory, a reminder, or a mistake...but mine👍
I have very occasionally worn a hi-viz, but more because I've felt a slight chill as I'm returning home, and it happened to be in my tail bag! With hardwired lighting on bikes now being pretty much standard, it does come down to those road users that aren't also bikers (and some that are!) not looking at the road anywhere near as closely as they should! I have always felt that post car driving test, you should have to complete at least the CBT, to understand how life on 2 wheels is, and hopefully instill into other road users that instead of barely seeing beyond the end of their own bonnet, you know what is happening in-front of the bonnet of that car that has just gone round a bend 1/2 a mile up ahead! I was always taught when learning to ride to not only look at that car at the junction, but actively stare at the driver's eyes, as that instinctively triggers a reaction in their brain of your presence....and if they still don't notice you, physical gestures are required, as they cannot hear what you are calling them! 😁
Forcing car drivers to do a CBT would actually be a major benefit to fixing the issues with onattentional blindness, being physically forced to look for the certain things on the road is a huge benefit to protecting bikers lives on the road
Yes, this. Before I took to 2 wheels, I considered myself to be an aware driver. Aware of other road users, aware of developing hazards and aware of my surroundings. Before taking my CBT, I had a 1 hour free trial (getting used to bikes controls etc) The instructor told me to keep my eyes on the mirrors and shout out when I saw her. She touched my shoulder before I saw her... I then realised, I knew nothing.
It used to be fun on the local roads A332 A329 A30 when you also wear a white helmet with the high viz ( better with a full yellow jacket ) here on the local roads you would see cars slow down to below the speed limit until you passed why? because they think the hi viz yellow and the white helmet means the police bikers, who are often seen on the roads in this area due to Windsor and Ascot hosting royals and the bike escorts travel through the area quite often.
Interesting video, as a volunteer instructor we advise trainees on this subject as early in their training as CBT.
We also teach about peripheral vision.
When a car is wanting to pull out into a major road from a minor road the driver will look left and right (well should do) there may be a car, van or lorry approaching and decide they have time to pull out but not notice the bike in front of it, their vision is fixated on the larger vehicle in the distance.
When I see a car wanting to pull out from my left I change my riding position to position 3 from 2, I.E. from centre of my lane to closer to the central line in the road.
That way the driver doesn't have to turn there head as much to see you, they first catch a glimpse out the corner of their eye and then full vision as their head continues to turn.
That's some really good advice 👍
Yep! Called defensive driving. Most advanced riders use it, also defensive aggressive too.
Good point I do same as well as slow and cover brakes
Very true facts. Too much sights overloading drivers.
Treat all Cagers as possible assassins..……work on the assumption Cagers don’t see you, even if you’re lit up like a Christmas tree they don’t….worked for me for nearly sixty years
As a former Roads Policing Officer my opinion is, if by wearing high viz you get a sense of self reassurance then wear high viz but never become complacent. The general standard of driving in the UK is alarming. Ride defensively, always ride your own ride and do not be coerced by others to exceed your ability.
Awesome advise
@@bigbaza30 Much appreciated thanks 👍
I absolutely agree. UK drivers are some of the most careless I have seen in any country. I did my "Standard Car Course" with the Kent Police. While learning on that course, we saw hundreds of careless manoeuvres from regular motorists every day, most were harmless, but it really did make me re-evaluate how I drove myself and it has translated into my motorcycling in my retirement. Expect "The Others" to do something careless and you will be prepared!
@@speedfinder1 The advanced driving course and my subsequent time on traffic was the best part of my career, I was a FLO as well. 👍
IMO the line between self assurance and complacency is very, very thin.
For me I wear a white helmet, I wear a hi-viz/reflective vest in low light or night riding, I ride assuming I am invisible at all times, when approaching a junction with vehicle(s) pulling out, I glance at the wheels to see if they are moving, I also like to get brief eye contact with the driver(s) if possible. Another important discipline is to not drive too close to the vehicle in front. Bottom line is to use every means to anticipate, which will enable yourself every opportunity to avoid or stop. Ride safe all
I've heard good things about white helmets to be fair! I have heard that they work really well for visibility but I haven't researched anything in particular
@@SaffySprocket I remember seeing a video where they had a rider in a white helmet, then showed the same rider in a black helmet and the white helmet stood out against the urban background better.
The copper teaching the BikeSafe session I attended made an interesting point. If you are going to wear high-viz, then make it big. Like a rain jacket that is just one big block of colour. Vests, belts and multi-coloured clothing break up your outline, and can make you less visible. He also recommended pink rather than yellow or green. He showed photos to prove it.
He also said that If you want to make yourself seen, make sure you are moving across the car driver's line of sight - so you are moving across the background as he sees it. The way you do that is to make sure, from your perspective, that the background behind him is moving relative to his position. If this is already the case, do nothing. If his background is static, start moving across the lane.
Also, the first clue you have that he is pulling out is when you see his wheels start to rotate. You will notice this before you notice the general motion of the car.
If you don't have time to get all this sorted in a particular situation, you are riding too fast.
All that said, most people will see you whatever. Some people won't. Maybe high-viz shifts that number in your favour, but it won't be 100%. So, everyone, get on that advanced riding course anyway. You know, the one you've been thinking of for the last few months....
Yup, pink and blue are apparently the best colours to see
I work in breakdown and accident recovery and a lot of the time the first thing you will hear at an accident is either
I wasn't spending.
Or i didn't see it/ them/ that .
Human error is nearly always the top reason usually in combination with conditions, road surface light weather natural or other obstructions to visibility.
Working at the side of a motorway we obviously have to use hi viz, h & S , insurance etc and yet we still get close calls normally people rubber necking.
There is no doubt a clean hi viz jacket or vest makes you stand out but once a person jumps in a car sets the heat and which music to listen too, taking to passengers or thinking about anything rather than concentrating on driving
Then accidents happen , hiviz or not.
ridiculing a rider for using it is a bit childish as is telling others they should
If they don't, it's a personal choice if you feel safer go for it if you don't, don't.
Like any thing in life when you break it down, living is a dangerous occupation .
It’s actually lethal
RyanF9 on FortNine channel did a video about the crashes in junctions a couple months ago; "How Pigeons Explain a Common Motorcycle Crash". Interesting watch in itself.
Apparently there are two big reasons. First, a lot of drivers turn their heads so little that they actually see the crossing road with only one eye, making noticing and evaluating distance and speed of approaching objects harder. Second, motorcycles are tall and narrow shaped when looked from the front which makes them harder to spot to begin with, but also makes their size appear pretty much the same until they are close.
On a Bike Safe course a trainer told me one of simplest ways to be seen by emerging cars is to move your position on approach. A static positioned bike gets looked past, if you alter your position, a car is more likely to spot the movement. The other issue I have encountered in my job is that a lot of older drivers just can’t see properly, as a glasses wearer I have my eyes tested every two years, this should be mandatory for all road users
The gorilla test is a perfect comparison. Car drivers aren't scanning for motorbikes. They are scanning for cars. When my brother was learning to drive a car, I taught him NOT to scan for cars, but only for bicycles. That technique makes you scan all of the road, including the gutter channels. It's also a good technique for pedestrians.
i just looked up the gorilla test video and saw the gorilla right away, even while counting the passes. it really isn't that difficult to spot a biker, really. motorcycle, pedal bike, or e-bike. i've been driving for over 13 years and never had an issue with seeing them. the times i've didn't see them were 1) they were going exceptionally fast (which is the biker's fault), and 2) they were wearing literally all black at night with NO headlight, taillight or reflective anything (though this only applied to pedal bikes since motorcycles always have lights). and this has never happened to me but i imagine motorcyclists who lane split and go fast while doing it will significantly increase their chances of getting hit by someone switching lanes.
@@user-vc5rp7nf8f You saw a gorilla because you were prompted to see a gorilla by searching for "Gorilla test video".
From what I was taught when I did some advanced driving lessons was that, drivers don't look for hazards they just don't see a car. They see a gap in the road and don't look. After I had learned this, I adjusted my riding to counter the unexpected. Coming to pass a junction, I would back off the throttle, prepare to brake and give myself as much clear line of sight as possible. If I wasn't sure a car had seen me, I'd use my horn after all that's what it's for. I know this isn't fool proof but being prepared for a situation gives you more time to react and hopefully escape to safety.
"drivers don't look for hazards, they look for a GAP IN THE ROAD"
On point
Yep, I always roll off, tap rear brake and move out.
Another good thing to google is dazzle camouflage which was used on ships during the war, they didn’t make any attempt to hide the ships, instead they used bright colours. This was to used to confuse the enemy as to the size of the ship, it’s speed and also it’s direction. The same can be applied to being too brightly coloured and using headlamps on motorcycles. It is very difficult to accurately judge distance on vehicles with bright headlamps. Maybe those that were hit confused the bikes speed. Another thing that was noted during the war with pilots was that they saw things better if they moved their eyes rather than their heads to keep their eyes peeled as when you look at something directly if it is approaching it remains in your vision for a long time, which could be interpreted by your brain that it is a actually going slower than it really is.
Another good thing to google is dazzle camouflage which was used on ships during the war, they didn’t make any attempt to hide the ships, instead they used bright colours. This was to used to confuse the enemy as to the size of the ship, it’s speed and also it’s direction. The same can be applied to being too brightly coloured and using headlamps on motorcycles. It is very difficult to accurately judge distance on vehicles with bright headlamps. Maybe those that were hit confused the bikes speed. Another thing that was noted during the war with pilots was that they saw things better if they moved their eyes rather than their heads to keep their eyes peeled as when you look at something directly if it is approaching it remains in your vision for a long time, which could be interpreted by your brain that it is a actually going slower than it really is.
You don't want to be going any faster than the normal speed of traffic on that road. Even if they see you, most people won't give themselves the time to judge your speed, so if it looks like you're far away they pull out.
I was told not so long ago that because the yellow hi viz is so common place these days that people just don't see or ignore it and that if your going to wear any hi viz the pink one is the better option
Someone else mentioned this, they called it 'hi-vis clutter'
There is a great Fortnine TH-cam video on “why” motorists don’t see bikes, I’d suggest everyone watches it. My view on it as a 35 year commuter into London is that they cannot hurt therefore I wear one. If it stops one traffic cop noting “not wearing hi-viz” in his notebook as you are carted away in an ambulance and the subsequent insurance questions, that’s good enough for me.
Ultimately It takes no effort to wear a hi-vis and although the research is currently inconclusive, it doesn't mean a benefit doesn't exist, it just means we don't have the research to back it up yet. On a cost benefit basis, it makes sense to wear a hi-vis
You are spot on Saffy. I say to myself each time I go for a ride. "No one will see me, so I have to see everyone. I'm invisible!" At least it works for me, just to remember. 🙂
The reasoning behind Hi-Viz is related to peoples ability to perceive difference between colours and it depends how many colour receptors a persons eyes have. The idea is that a drivers attention may be caught with Hi-Viz as the colour is very different to the surroundings and to limit how much a rider blends in to the background. Hi-Viz is not supposed to counter inattentional blindness. It can only help to prevent accidents involving difficulty seeing a motorcyclist against a the background. The reason that 12% still had accidents would be because a Hi-Viz vest does not aid prevention of all types of accident. The simple answer is that Hi-viz vests are worth wearing because they may help to prevent a specific type of accident which helps to lower overall risk but it is the riders choice whether they do or don't.
seems to me the highest point and usually the first visible is the helmet coming towards you - a bright helmet is a must. Riding lights also work for me - overall hi viz optional. My pet hate is black jacket, black trousers, black bike....
Hi Saffy, I have an Oxford High Visibility Waistcoat with elasticated sides and a front zip, with an airtex lining. It hugs my body shape, doesn't flap about and it feels 'snug'. I find the cheaper ones annoying when they blow about and they must annoy other road users as well. I wear textile jackets which tend to have grey or red panels on a black base colour. If the kit makes me more visible it is a bonus, especially from the side or flank and I move about on the road to increase my visibility when approaching hazards.
After 50 years of riding, all I can say is it works for me. Hi Vis has not always been available. It's a matter of personal choice that I would never wear all black. If what I do helps others to see me, the effort has been worth it. Stay safe.
Ultimately It takes no effort to wear a hi-vis and although the research is currently inconclusive, it doesn't mean a benefit doesn't exist, it just means we don't have the research to back it up yet. On a cost benefit basis, it makes sense to wear a hi-vis
@@SaffySprocket And....just like your bike wearing your favourite tyre. It gives you confidence.
I purposely bought a riding jacket that was hi viz, and have a white helmet. Anything to help.
When I first rode, I wore a black leather jacket. Within the first week I noticed cars constantly pulling out in front of me at junctions so I put a yellow high viz jacket with long sleeves (the whole jacket was high viz) over the biker jacket and the problem was immediately solved. I still slow down at junctions and expect trouble but I think high viz definitely works.
When it is absolute horrid weather, yes they work, my waterproof is completely yellow from a mountain shop, two sizes up and fits well over my motorcycle jackets
my experience with hi=viz is from 30 years ago. Before I got a bike (leather) jacket I rode in whatever. Then one day I put on my wind breaker and it was neon green....i saw and experienced the cars acting differently around me.
After taking bike safety classes they didn't mention hi-viz at all (again, 30 years ago). BUT they did bring up the point, from a study if I recall, that to be more visible on a bike be more 'one color' - a bike like yours - white, black, pink, etc is essentially camoflage compared to you and the bike being all one color.
That’s really interesting, Chris! 😄 I’ve heard mixed things about hi-viz, but it’s cool you noticed a difference with that neon green jacket! Sounds like you were ahead of the curve! 🚦
As a former police motorcycle officer I found that driving with my highbeams during daytime did lower the amount of cars pulling out in front of me. Also I found having additional rear & side lighting helped tremendously, especially if you are riding a bike that has the traditional single rear taillight.
The research did show that daylight running lights were great collision prevention aid!
Also a brightly marked up police bike helped I bet 😉
A recent study showed that two rear signal lights that were also used as running lights confused auto drivers into thinking it was a auto in the distance and they rear ended the motorcycle that was much closer than perceived to be!
Is it legal to ride on high beam in daylight ?
@@ronaldthomas9396 Rumors are this may be what Tesla's autopilot did when killing two riders recently
I ride a yellow bike, with a jacket that has the safety vest color strip about 3 inches wide on the torso and the arms at about chest height and then down the arms on a black background. They still don't see you, sometime people are just in a bubble when they are in a car.
You can never eliminate all accidents, but you can reduce the number, and outcome of them. People still die in car accidents despite wearing a seat belt, but not in the same number as without.
Oooh.
One of your best videos yet!
I love how you look at it objectively instead of just plastering yourself with hi-viz and telling the audience it’s for safety.
Objective and nicely researched….well done
as someone that had to wear hi viz at work on the railway I have found that in the countryside on long relatively straight sections especially at night it works, but the road is not the railway, hi viz is just another colour on the road amongst a multitude of colours and goes unnoticed for the most part, especially in towns and cities, also if they are not looking they are not going to see any sort of colour anyway, also whatever you wear it doesn't show up when there is a bend or objects restricting what can be seen, in other words we can't see around corners, there is also an argument that the eye picks up on black and dark objects as it stands out as a negative space to the eyes and subconscious, arguments for and against but these are my real world observations as someone who has had to use hi viz, I have always ridden with my lights on and that is enough for me, if they don't see my lights then they are not going to see anything else because they obviously aren't looking
I agree that the surveys are confusing, so I go by what my brain processes; I tend to see fluorescent jackets when I am navigating landscapes - one worker wearing one in a group will stand out from the rest. For this reason, I always wear a yellow or orange fluorescent jacket when riding, as well as a white or yellow helmet. But, such is my confidence of other road users to see me, I always ride as if am wearing black clothes on a bike with no lights...and use the other techniques mentioned in the comments. I think the statistics make it worth wearing a fluorescent jacket.
Morning Saffy, i have only recently discovered your blogs and have binged watch so many i cant count :D content is amazing and i love the detail you go into compared to other bloggers, ive had to many close calls with other vehicles not seeing me, i have pin stripe wheels built in hi-vis reflectors on my jacket bright luminous helmet ans still not seen, i often wounder why other countrys are able to customise there motorbikes so much more than we can, i like the idea of having leds on my bike (not flashing) but enough to catch the eye of other vehicles and be seen :D loving the content keep up the amazing work :D :D
When the glasses come on, you know it's go time. Great video, Saf. One of your best yet. Really informative!
I remember when Volvo first started displaying day time running lights. My boss complained about this “stupid”
New feature and each time he saw one he moaned about it. My only comment was you haven’t missed seeing one yet!
Exactly, and now ALL cars have daytime running lights. Hi-viz works, but you still need to ride like you're invisible.
Good material.
But the best method in my opinion is to observe how the driver's are driving.
And be always ready for that one who wants to hit me.
I prefer to go on graveley paths where cars can't go 🤣🤣🤣
@@SaffySprocket true but there is not always option to do this.
All the best.
And safety road's for you.
Ryan at Fortnine did a great video a few months ago on why driver dont see motorcyclists
Banksy - the well known stealth artist, says that one way to avoid people noticing you (important in his occupation) is to wear a hi-vis jacket.
I've heard it's the easier way to break into shows and places where you shouldn't be 🤣
@@SaffySprocket and carry a clipboard as well.
@rickconstant: sounds legit.
I have been riding bike for 47yrs+and have never worn a hi-viz jacket....and never will !!
You are obviously alive since you commented, but how many close calls did you have😮🫣
Amazing video! Thank you for putting this out there and for all your hard work and frustration.
The bikers super power of invisibility! A quick experiment to try at home, hold your hand straight out in front of your face (in your line of sight) now, without moving your hand, turn your head to look to your left, next turn your head to look to your right. The question is when scanning from left to right did you really see your hand? Exactly what a car driver sees (or doesn't) when looking to pull out from a junction. I know scary isn't it?
Blind spots freak me out in the car, constant paranoia about hitting a biker
@@SaffySprocket
If you're not sure about a blind spot you can move your head forwards and backwards to help you see better.
The A pillar, or as some people call it, the windscreen pillar is the blind spot that causes most accidents on roundabouts.
That's an ideal one where moving backwards and forwards helps.
I was a driving instructor for 10 years and I seen countless cars pulling onto roundabouts because the driver just glanced to the right instead of having a good look.
For me I notice many workers on the road due to their reflective gear way far compared to plane clothes.
I understand that real world problems are multi dimensional and translating them to statistics are not as easy.
However the Hi-Vis did help me notice others on the road, so I wear it thinking others will have a higher chance to notice me.
Been waiting for your video all day lol good stuff x
The research is interesting on hi-vis. In built-up areas the yellow hi-vis is much less effective than pink hi-vis. The reason for this is the proliferation of yellow hi-vis in these areas. It's almost become so commonplace that we cognitively disregard the cues.
A couple of years ago I saw the optical illusion of a friend on an adventure bike disappear in bright sunlight against a green hedge. In my work w are are required to wear hi viz in certain areas. After this incident we went to pink hi viz. our studies showed us that pink stood out far better than any other.
Oddly I’ve found that if I go into the hi viz areas at work without hi viz the H&S police always see me.
I do wear a pink hi viz on my bike. There’s been a few too many smidsys in my life, one resulting in injuries, the rest just being close calls.
So not wearing hi vis is more noticeable than wearing it.
I’d call that ironic.
And a bit sick.
@@brucecurtis4267 I work as a pilot, we’re required to wear hi viz anytime we’re airside, it’s often been said that we’re more visible in daylight without, but H&S forced the rule through in 1996 and we’ve been stuck with it since.
The guy who “disappeared” was wearing green hi viz in bright sunlight, against a brightly lit hedge. He went from shadow, where I could see him clearly at about 300m, to bright light, where he “disappeared” including his headlight, back to shadow where he disappeared again. I went to pink hi viz as it’s an unnatural colour and stays visible in all lighting, against all backgrounds.
I’m all for being as visible as possible on a bike, but really believe the green isn’t as safe as H&S, or others would have us believe.
I do not wear them, however i have choosen to buy a light grey jacket, a blue helm, and a black motorcycle, so i am hoping the contrast works. As for intersections, i also did the research where i live, and got to the same result. The 2 biggest accident brackets are intersections and driving to fast or overjudging your own ability. So for intersections i always try to see if a driver makes "eye-contact" (ie. looking in my direction), if i am unshure, i start to weave, when its possible (i read that that unusual movement makes them more aware), if i am still unsure release throttle or tap front brake slightly to slow down - so that i can do an emergency stop in an appropiate timefrime or have an escape root, in the case it he pulls out. And yes, every ride i train a full emergency stop. (sidestory: even after you got your drivers licence here where i live (austria) , you have to do 2 courses after half a year. The first one is like a technical day on closed track. We did emergency brakes there, and out of all the 10 people my stopping distance was (by a long run) the best (on all different speeds). He asked me how i was doing so well, i said i train every time i go for a ride (exept commuting). Was a pretty good feeling to know, that these self training things really help (thanks motojitsu!). thanks for your video, ride safe saffy. o/
I ride a white BMW r1200rt with hi vis vest and white helmet. It looks like a police bike. ...and car drivers are so very much more delicate about how they drive....They actually drive properly...and nd drive slower and pull over. It's not hi vis...its looking like a police bike
Great video Saffy, well researched.❤
Thank you so much 😊😊😊
You really really need to watch every FORTNINE TH-cam vid.
Especially the one about how to become invisible.
Fascinating.
Looking but not seeing is what I've always called it. Years ago I fitted a rear fog light to my gs550 as I was fed up of cars nearly ramming me off on the way to work in low visibility.
If you can be seen you are invisible. If you are invisible you can be seen 🤷♂️
I’m 6’6 and wore a hi-viz jacket in winter on my walk to get the train for work, every morning 6am I would get to the zebra crossing by the station and drivers would not see me waiting to cross. But if I was in full black they would stop every time? 🤷♂️
Really depends if the driver was looking in the first place, Drivers don't tend to be looking around with an image of a motorbike in there mind either, unlike a car which is more common in most countries & simply don't see us.
I have rode both with & without Hi-Vis. I really don't notice any difference in driver behavior.
The best Hi-Vis safety "equipment" is to assume you are invisible.
In 33 yrs of riding I have had 1 collision T boning a pickup that pulled out (no indication) from the side of the road blocking both lanes. While he was at fault, I looked at what mistake I may have made & concluded that it was assuming he had seen me.
Stay safe.
I think CBT training should be part of a car license.
100%
Hi Saffy
As an HGV Driver for 40 years Hi Viz jacket, the better you can be seen the safer the biker will be,it's human error the amount of people just drive out of side roads, they don't even look, sitting in an HGV you can see this from where we sit !!!
I'd say the best thing is ride with your lights on at all times. if you're riding a bike with a fairing, your body is not that visible from the front. I find that car drivers are looking for cars, not bikes, and even if they see you, it somehow doesn't seem to register with them.
Hi Saffy, I think it's one of those subjects with so many reasons for motorists failing to see motorcyclists that are approaching, if it's broken down logically the more you can make yourself, and your motorcycle visible the lesser the chance of being missed. But unfortunately even with all those precautions in place we are still missed. It then puts the onus back on the motorcyclist to be even more observant in identifying the threats you face reading the road ahead and taking the appropriate measures to reduce your own risk. It should not have to be like this, but it is a fact we are very vulnerable. But motorcycles are amazing and I for one are willing to take that risk for the sheer pleasure it gives me. PS a white crash helmet is best. Thanks Saffy very interesting
I agree worn white ones for years deffo makes a difference or even better some of the flouro coulored ones, flouro pink saffy to match your crash bars.....?
I speak from the perspective of a former driver instructor, and police officer who has attended to numerous traffic collisions.
I heard a rumour, once, on some internet moto forum, that if one wears a hi vis jacket, and a white helmet, on a motorcycle, the vast majority of drivers in the western world take a second, third, and fourth look at you... Because they are programmed to look out for the motorcycle traffic cop.
I have no idea on the any stats behind this, but I can speak to my anecdotal observations: Car drivers think I'm the police, and slow down near me.
I will still, always, assume that I am invisible on my motorcycle, because I do understand physics, and injuries, and I want to make it home safely to my wife and child, every day.
Also, should I survive a non-fatal incident vs a car, I can stand in civil court and show the "reasonable man" what I was wearing, and what my video cameras showed the other road user doing, as they hit me.
Hi vis is NOT perfect, and never will be - But it is a tool in the tool box.
Sent from western Canada.
Ride safe, all.
I have a Hi-viz flip up helmet, I have noticed the difference when wearing it, I too think it's an initial assumption I'm Plod when drivers first look.
There is a phenomenon called "Hi-Vis clutter" which says that there are so many road users, Police, Ambulance, Fire, Road Workers, Road Signs etc, etc that are dressed up in Hi Vis that we as motorcyclists become effectively invisible amongst it all.
Hi-vis clutter 👀Don't send me down another rabbit hole 😭 I can't copppppeeee ☠️☠️☠️☠️
Yes i agree, its the same as orange beacons on vehicles, and alarms. People take no notice
Not only road users, how many people do you see everyday doing their normal duties, it could even be delivering mail, wearing a hi-viz. WHY ???? We have become PPE lazy, that is, wear every god damn bit of PPE you can find and nothing can surely happen to you.
The HSE has an article on "hi vis blindness" in relation to workplaces over using hi vis in lieu of proper risk assessments and processes.
With the first question usually asked after an incident "were you wearing your hi vis?" like it's some sort of magical forcefield.
@@_Steven_S I doubt there’s not even proper (sensible, realistic, true) Risk Assessments carried out.
Thank you for an informed and intelligent upload on the subject.
Statistics can be so misleading. If, for example, 80% of car drivers injured in accidents ARE wearing a seatbelt might make you think seatbelts are dangerous. However, when you consider 99% of drivers wear seatbelts you can see the 1% not wearing a seatbelt are FAR MORE likely to be injured in a collision than a driver wearing their seatbelt. (The % quoted are for illustration only)
Great video. My 2 cents- I purchased a Helite airbag vest that also happens to be hi viz. I don’t wear it all the time as I found it far too hot to wear in Australian summers. What I have found when I do wear the vest is that I am more visible to drivers, however as the drivers can clearly see me they pull out in front of me anyway! I think this is the missing piece of the puzzle in the data you mentioned where 12% of riders in accidents are wearing hi viz. I find the same thing when driving my car which is a grey colour. If I use my headlights during the day I get people pulling out in front of me because they CAN see me. I’m still undecided about the benefits of hi viz but leaning towards good road positioning and using the bikes headlight flasher as I approach cars on side streets as a better option. For wet weather and night time riding I would add hi viz to the mix.
That's really interesting because most of the research into high visibility jackets was actually done by a professor in Australia 😅
good vid saffy and well said i also think some car drivers just don't care they pull out etc knowing full well they have cut the bike up
It would be interesting to theorise how many car drivers said they didn't see the biker, but actually they did and just didn't care
@@SaffySprocket thats a very good point
If they can't see a headlight approaching, it doesn't matter what you're wearing, it might as well be a clown suit. The only way I've survived over 50 years of riding is by always assuming they haven't seen me and preparing to take evasive action. Even that hasn't always worked, as my x-rays will show.
I read strong day-time running lights were super effective as preventing accidents!
Always ride as if you’re completely invisible. Even if a driver is staring your direction, assume you’re an invisible rider. This helps me prepare for the unexpected. I don’t ride besides a car assuming they’ll change lanes without warning. I space myself from the vehicle ahead in case they brake suddenly. Giving yourself a few more seconds to react may mean the difference of giving you more years to live.
@2:00 the reason they did that is because insurance companies would do ANYTHING to not pay the insurance. I don't wear high viz jackets, I do however wear a very light grey jacket and a white helmet and my rain gear has high viz parts.
Most people don't "judge" speed. They look for a tiny split-second, they see how far away an object is and assume whether they can or can't go. It takes about a second of observing an object to remotely figure out how fast it's coming at you (less if you have more information and training, i.e. in sports) and you just don't get that sort of time when you only allow yourself a quick glance.
This is where speed limits, particularly in towns, come in handy. Contrary to what the anti-speed lobby insist on, slower isn't better. What's important is consistency. You get used to the speed of traffic in areas you frequent, so 9 times out of 10 not taking the time to judge an approaching object's speed is fine - your brain already has a map of that view and it knows where is far enough and where is too close. Same goes for roundabouts, etc. When you have a small object approaching you at say twice the usual speed on that road, your brain can't tell the difference in that split-second glance. All it knows is "far enough away - GO!". But it wasn't far enough away... Not at twice that speed.
You get the same exact issue on motorways, by the way. People are expecting that if you're about to overtake them, you'll be approaching at a certain slightly higher speed than what they're doing. Typically overtaking traffic could be going up to 85mph with no issues. Any faster than that though, and one runs into the same issue - the approaching traffic appears far enough away for one to pull out into the next lane up, except that guy's doing 130 and he's right on top of you before you've completed the lane change.
That's where it's the speeders' responsibility to look far enough ahead, anticipate other road users' behaviour and have a backup plan for every eventuality. And to not go faster than they can see.
Most boy racers don't have that level of judgement and aren't particularly interested in learning. That'd be where the main "speed kills" issue stems from. In my opinion, a much more effective solution (than speed cameras) to this particular problem would be to introduce a "high speed" extension to the driving license, renewed every 6 or 12 months, entitling those of us who can demonstrate the required level of judgement to fully exercise the needle on the speedo where conditions permit (and there's no local speed limit in place).
TBH I worked for Road Safety and when having a chat with people who are completing their CBT or even DAS mod1 &2 it was always mentioned to try to wear a hiviz vest or Hiviz jacket. We always mentioned that most motorist are bike blind so you could be a all in one flashing beacon riding a bike and they will still not see. So it’s up to you. I wear adventure clothing which is bright and have flashes of neon yellow and still motorists miss me. Nice channel by the way
Fort9 did a great video about rider visibility.
I wear one as I have to for my job and I also wear a white helmet (cheaper than the black at the time) however it doesnt seem to make you any more visible to other road users from my experience even when I have headlights on not just drl's. People still pull out on you and cut you up, Its not that the biker wasnt seen because of a lack of hi vis or drl's, its that the other road users are simply not looking or not paying attention/distracted for whatever reasons when they should be looking and concentrating on the road. Usually distracted by their phones or are eating or drinking from what I see on the roads. Just my observations and experience.
Yes i teach my students to be as visable as possible, ftom high viz to road position etc.
However the way i see it is, car drivers aren't even looking for cars, they're looking for the gaps between them for the space they want.
Another way to see it, is the smaller the object the harder it is to see and the harder it is to judge its speed and distance. I specifically asked the boss for a pink hiviz for work as in my opinion its the most uncommon colour on the road.
Where I live on the Isle of Wight . Wearing high vis does work especially in the Summer when we have droves of grockles descending on us ( they suffer from , I’m on holiday syndrome. Why should I look where I going I’m relaxing etc 😂😂) I’ve found that as taught by my iam . Make yourself seen when approaching a side junction.weave a bit , from area 2 to four , it catches the car drivers eye and of course cover you’re brakes .ps great vlog 😊😊👍👍
Good tips! And thank you so much ❤️
Lights always work better than color, lights with color, now that could be best. I see one rider on a Ninja 400 regularly, his high beam is that ‘hyper-yellow’ color, really stands out well. Which is another thing: in daytime always use the high-beams !
The car driver is looking for a car not a bike. Simple as that
We get hit because people don’t look.
I know someone who pulled out of a parking spot and into the path of a skip lorry. You could have painted it in hiviz yellow and they still would have hit the lorry simply because they did not look.
Good video very interesting results.
I have a vest, I tend to work dark clothing and only use one when weather is poor, to to add an element of more visibility.
Well Miss Saffron, it must have been like banging your head against a brick wall trying make sense of any of these recommendations. The headlight one comes to mind. When I first started riding in 1964, no helmets or protective clothing as such and certainly no headlights on continuously. The headlight thing has cancelled itself out, as every vehicle now has them on all the time. Of course, people using their mobile phones whilst driving is a concern. A woman coming around a bend whilst on a mobile phone, nearly took me out when I was riding my old Honda, luckily, I swerved out of the way. All the best😊👍🏍
Whatever you wear assume your invisible
Good video and a topic which will split the biking community. Hi Vis is good, the problem is that everyone is so used to seeing standard Hi Vis that it no longer stands out. I ride a black bike which is not great at being spotted, however i wear a bright orange helmet and a very yellow Hi vis vest the 2 clash so badly you can not help but spot it. The more unusual the colours the more noticeable you become, having said that if you are right up the exhaust pipe of the vehicle in front of you then no matter how much hi vis you wear you are blocked from anyone else’s view. Ride defensively, give space between yourself and any other vehicles ahead of you. Change your positioning on the road, we have the advantage of being more manoeuvrable. When approaching a junction slow down, change position to allow for a driver to have a better view of you, the change in positioning should alert them to your presence. Assume no one sees you and think for them, as far as most car, van and lorry divers go they are the only users of the road. There are courses out the run you the Police (Road Safe) and the Fire Service (Fire Bike) they are worth doing and will give you lots of new information and advice. Ride safe, be seen and have fun 👍
I think your conclusion is right, this week during about 20 miles driving my Car two Cars have pulled out in front of me and three pedestrians have stepped into the road in front of me, one with a dog so you don't even need a motorcycle to prove 'unintentional blindness' is simply intentional bad driving, presumably the pedestrians are the same they just don't have a Car yet. I think my first lesson in training back in 1979 was 'never trust anyone else on the road' so I had it covered 43 years ago, the only time I wore a hi-vis vest. I also saw a driver today wait for my wheels to turn in to a left turn before he pulled out although I was indicating left so he obviously rode a motorcycle or was trained to drive safely and applied the same basic rule to me, a list of good driving is probably slightly longer for those same 20 miles.
If all car drivers were bikers first then it would be a safer place for bike riders. The concentration and observation required to ride a bike is far greater than in a car. It is not just about visibility but about The connection with your vehicle. In a car you have multiple non functional distractions AIr conditioning ,radio, phone etc. on a bike you have none of that just the controls and the environment you are in, like looking for diesel patches or off camber corners or car drivers who don’t even look for you yet alone see you. I will post a video of an accident I had a few years ago when after I was helped up by a passer by and accused by them that I would have been ok if I was in hi vis. The video showed the driver did not even look my way so even if I was lite up like Blackpool illuminations they would not have seen me.
I was looking at fashion options for a summer vest. It gets warm. In the cooler weather I have a leather vest.
In one interesting, though informal, 1-week test I read about, years ago, the most-favored protection for bikers seemed to be gained by riding a white bike with windshield and wearing gear that resembles that of motorcycle cops in your area. I would simply go with a Hi-Viz helmet.
Good food-for-thought vid Saf. Like what has been said by others, attitudes towards driving / riding has changed for the worse for sure. I think the best we can do is don’t assume, don’t just think I have the right of way. No point shouting he was in the wrong as your being rushed into A & E with a brain bleed. Wear a high vis, make sure your headlight is big and bright, fit auxiliary lights. Assume no one has seen you, watch cars wheels at junctions are they moving or stationary, move to lane position 3 if it’s safer to do so as you approach junctions. Touch wood everyone gets home safely 👍
300% just because you're right, doesn't mean you're safe. That was drilled into me when I started learning to ride
@@SaffySprocket Yep assume they CAN'T see you not they can.
Or don't wear a hi-viz and still assume no one has seen you !
Hi Saffy I do have fluorescent panels on my otherwise black jacket just because I think every little helps. But! Wow I watched the invisible gorilla and that does make you think.what you have to do to be seen. My mantra is to treat everyone else on the road with great suspicion and expect the worst and ride accordingly. Ride safe and enjoy .
All the best
Marc 👍👍
Ride your ride, do what makes you feel safe. There's no correct 100% safe way to ride a motorbike, we just do what works for us. I've got a mate who rides an R1 in shorts, t shirt and old trainers - he's never had an accident, so maybe he's the one who's doing it right. I'm no safety expert, you just called me by name and I answered!
Once I read an article about "accidents around 17h-19h, during these hours of the day, drivers should be more careful because of the light (penumbra). Greetings from ZH
There was an inquiry about 10 years back in Victoria/Australia into compulsory wearing Hi-Vis on a motorcycle,the findings found that wearing Hi-Vis in cities and towns on a motorcycle, that there is so much Hi-Vis already being worn by construction workers and a multitude of other outdoor workers on the street that wearing Hi-vis on a motorcycle in these areas was of no advantage, in fact the rider tended to blend in with hi-vis workers, there by making the motorcycle invisible
I look at it this way. If a TMA safety wehicle can get hit with all those flashing lights and bright colour. Me wearing a Hi-Vis west on the bike makes no difference. I just put it in my sidebag for the reason of wearing it if I break down at night.
Interesting point!
ORANGE hi vis works better for bikes. Especially in Europe with its leafy surroundings. Yellow can blend in.
As many lights as are legal on your bike
A white helmet
Change position if approaching cars coming out of junctions (a driver is more likely to see an object move out of position in peripheral vision)
As loud an exhaust as is legal/you can get away with.
Keep your distance from vehicles
Give WAY more distance than you think you need to stop while braking
Assume NOBODY can see you
If filtering, do so very slowly, you’ll still get where you’re going faster than any car in the line of traffic. You do not need to speed.
You’re not Rossi, you don’t need to be travelling at ridiculous speeds , don’t need 58degree lean angles etc.
Lights are the biggest safety resource! Really underrated!
My thoughts are this… most drivers only care about themselves.
Today I was traveling on a dual carriage way and a motorway, keeping a safe (2 second distance) from the vehicle in front. On three occasions I was undertaken by multiple cars.
So they had seen me because they moved into the near side rather than driving into me, but didn’t care enough to ease off and give me any space.
This happens every single time I’m on a multi-lane road, either on a motorcycle, a motorhome, a car or a van towing a trailer.
The same for junctions. In fact in the bigger the vehicle I drive the more likely someone is to pull out on me!
Either the driving test/instruction needs to change or people’s attitudes to other people (road users).
I should say that on a motorcycle I do move positions when a vehicle is at a junction and believe this slight shift in my lane does make a difference.
I have a hi-vis jacket that I wear for long tours or if the weather is bad. Since you see hi-viz everywhere now here in the US a think it has lost it’s impact for standing out. Example: road construction zones are well marked, coned, barrel usage etc and road workers in hi-viz get killed by drivers who “didn’t see” the construction site……we’re are own best safety device.
Sprocket In Wonderland.....!!! If Carlsberg did Rabbithole videos.......!!! Excellent stuff Inspector Saffy...
Helmet colour is much more important to being seen than a high vis vest as the majority of the vest is seen to the rear when being worn, frontal vest visibility is generally reduced due to fairings, screens headlights etc….
I've heard white helelmets do quite well on the road
@@SaffySprocket I saw a guy with a solid yellow colour helmet earlier today, really stood out …
I love your vids but haven't seen all of them yet. If you haven't done it already get yourself signed up for a Police Bike Safe course. They help you perceive a lot of the questions you have here. I'm going on one soon. The last one I went on was in the 1980s; never too old to learn.
Ride like your invisible, because nobody is going to see you. My wake up moment to this was when I still had my ZX-10R, I was on a four lane road and sitting in the left lane at a stop light and the driver of the car to my right rolls down his window and he and his girlfriend compliment my bike for a good 10 to 15 seconds. The light turns green and I'm still right beside his window, no sooner than we get through the intersection he begins to merge into me. I tap his shoulder as his window is still down and scare the shit out of him, I give him a universal WTF gesture as he swerves back into the right lane. The driver knew I was there, we had a brief conversation. He still tried to merge into me.
as someone who has ridden motorcycles for 20+ yrs and camping on my motorcycle i have found that i wear bright colored riding gear for my own safety as i am a smaller vehicle on the road and also the fact that if a driver isn't paying attention it at least gets their attention i also ride in the US and i see many driver being distracted by cellphones. That being said i'm also very hyper aware of other motorist while i'm riding so i don't put myself in a bad spot while riding
Great vid.. Thank you & keep it up.
Thank you 😊
Hi Saffy, new to your site and really enjoy the videos. I like to look of your what looks like gel seat. I own a 2003 Africa twin which I love but the seat makes my poor bum numb after only an hour's riding, it's so uncomfortable!! Don't want to replace the whole thing, can you tell me where you got yours from please? ps. you ought to come to Southern France to ride, empty roads and lovely scenery and NO potholes. Take care and stay safe!
I've learned something today. Glasses on = prepare for statistics!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭😭😭😭
The best Hi-vis color is pink which most times don't blend with the background.
Hey. Love your adventures and misadventures 🫶🏻 I’ve learnt so much including what not to do ☺️ and I can relate so much to u. I did wonder in this video that u hadn’t mentioned about saccadic masking. I learnt this on a bike safe course and it’s super interesting and massively contributes to why people including us don’t see things. And of course the hi-viz colour can play a part. But ultimately I believe drivers don’t look for bikes (even bicycles) ….they look for other cars. I was suggested to also try move from side to side (when riding) as this can also draw attention to our visibility being increased. I’ve been a driver for 20 yrs and still find people cars and bikes pulling out / misjudging my speed and riding for 2 yrs and the same. But yet very lucky to have never had an accident but able to avoid MANY! Keep up the awesome content and ride safe ✌🏻🙌🏻❤️
I drive and ride and suffer the same issue of cars pulling out regardless. Both my vehicles have either DRL or full headlights on. Some drivers just don't look, others don't make any attempt to judge your speed and others just don't care because they are selfish. Then there are those of course who aren't concentrating on their driving because they are on the phone or reading a text or are distracted by other occupants of the car. My advice is to slow down and to make eye contact with the driver so you know they have seen you. Watch their wheels as that will give you the earliest warning that they are pulling out. I'm not saying hi viz doesn't work, it just won't work if a driver isn't making any attempt to see you.
Nice research video for People of UK🇬🇧 everyone Will learn the safety jackets role in UK 🇬🇧.
Hi, in case you're interested, they do make PINK HI-VIZ vests as well 🤓😉
I'd agree with other commentors that Hi-Viz in the rain is a wise choice. There are so many variables regarding a 2 vehicle crash that it's easy to say "if only...." there might have been a different outcome. Biker's experience a higher danger level than most people's life experience but if your numbers up it's up :) People die in car accidents every day yet there is far less emphasis on RTA's for cars as there deamed "safer than bikes". It's an interesting topic, Great video Saffy.
I don't wear hi vis vest, because it is covers my patches what i collected during the jackets life span, every patch is a memory, a reminder, or a mistake...but mine👍
I have very occasionally worn a hi-viz, but more because I've felt a slight chill as I'm returning home, and it happened to be in my tail bag!
With hardwired lighting on bikes now being pretty much standard, it does come down to those road users that aren't also bikers (and some that are!) not looking at the road anywhere near as closely as they should! I have always felt that post car driving test, you should have to complete at least the CBT, to understand how life on 2 wheels is, and hopefully instill into other road users that instead of barely seeing beyond the end of their own bonnet, you know what is happening in-front of the bonnet of that car that has just gone round a bend 1/2 a mile up ahead!
I was always taught when learning to ride to not only look at that car at the junction, but actively stare at the driver's eyes, as that instinctively triggers a reaction in their brain of your presence....and if they still don't notice you, physical gestures are required, as they cannot hear what you are calling them! 😁
Forcing car drivers to do a CBT would actually be a major benefit to fixing the issues with onattentional blindness, being physically forced to look for the certain things on the road is a huge benefit to protecting bikers lives on the road
Yes, this.
Before I took to 2 wheels, I considered myself to be an aware driver. Aware of other road users, aware of developing hazards and aware of my surroundings.
Before taking my CBT, I had a 1 hour free trial (getting used to bikes controls etc) The instructor told me to keep my eyes on the mirrors and shout out when I saw her. She touched my shoulder before I saw her... I then realised, I knew nothing.
Same in Ireland so many close calls, near mises
A driver on their phone can't see anything!
It used to be fun on the local roads A332 A329 A30 when you also wear a white helmet with the high viz ( better with a full yellow jacket ) here on the local roads you would see cars slow down to below the speed limit until you passed why? because they think the hi viz yellow and the white helmet means the police bikers, who are often seen on the roads in this area due to Windsor and Ascot hosting royals and the bike escorts travel through the area quite often.