Visibility

[rickt]

We all have heard about how important it is to make ourselves as visable as possible while riding.

I had a scary experience this morning while driving my truck that brought home the point. I was approaching a T intersection where I had a stop sign and the other street did not. As I approached I took a quick look to the left and saw no traffic -- yiou can see almost 500 yards sdown the street because of the park that is there. To the right is a semi blocked view and you really have to stop to be able to see well. All clear and I took another glance to the left and I now saw a motorcycle that was pretty close. I would not have hit him had I pulledout and he would not have hit me --but I know he would have braked and cussed me out. How did I not see him the first time I looked?? Being a rider I like to think I am very conscience of bikes. It was scary and my fault entirely.

The bike was speeding some but not excessively, probably 45 in a wide open 30 and I am very familair with the intersection.

What I did notice however when he went by was his visability or lack there of I guess. Black bike, black shirt, black helmet and a headlight that was misaimed low, so thta there was just a litle yellow glow. I am not tryijg to pick on those dressed in black -- I have a closet full of black tshirts from around the country. Just saying that sometimes we may be decreasing our visibilty w/o even realizing it. Think about it.

Sorry for the long rant.

Rick

 

[Rebel]

I've had my motorcycle license for little over a year, and I always wear blaze orange when I ride. SO FAR, I've never had a cage not see me. Also, a tip I picked up from my MSF course instructor -- keep your high beam on during the day.

 

[Blondie Gal]

We bought hi-viz yellow jackets while we were in Maggie Valley. Unfortunately, it's been too hot to wear 'em - and waaaaaay too hot to ride, so we're snugged down with the A/C going full blast until this heat wave breaks. Then we'll have the hi-viz for cool weather, and black and red (mostly red) GWRRA jackets for cold, but will always have our padded leather gear for those Christmas toy runs when it gets icy in Central Texas. I try to wear light-colored t-shirts and my white helmet when we go out at night, even with enough lights on the trike to be seen from outer space!!

 

[kkaykk]

I've had my motorcycle license for little over a year, and I always wear blaze orange when I ride. SO FAR, I've never had a cage not see me. Also, a tip I picked up from my MSF course instructor -- keep your high beam on during the day.

Totally agree we (as riders) should do everything we can to be visible, HOWEVER, never assume a cager can see you no matter what you are wearing or how many lights you may have on your bike. Even if they are looking directly at you that does not mean they necessarliy see you (believe me). For me I adopted a riding style that assumes I am invisible to a cager. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Ozarkryder]

I was in a motorcycle safety seminar some years ago where they played a video of a dozen people passing a baton (like they use in track relays) while weaving in and out and around each other. After the video the only thing they asked was what color was the gorilla suit and how many times did it walk by. The gorilla suit was pink and it went by 3 times. I wish I could say it was me, but the amazing thing was only 1 person in the class of 26 noticed the pink gorilla at all! Everyone was fixated on counting the baton passes they missed everything else.
We also saw a study that the mind tends to ignore things that are known but unexpected. Most drivers know about, but don't expect motorcycles, so they don't see them. We should try to be seen, but always remember and ride like we are pretty much invisible to car drivers.

 

[Gorilla]

Well said Ozark, thats why modulating healight are so effective. They get the attention of the driver.

 

[Yogisan]

I ride a silver and white trike with a bunch of shiny chrome. I wear a flurescent yellow long sleeved t-shirt. I rode with my high beam on and I still had people not see me. Stepped the visibility up a level and installed a headlight modulator. I've been using it for two years and it's made a huge difference. Near misses from people coming out of sidestreets/driveways/on ramps, left turns, etc. are almost non-existent. It's not perfect because you still do have idiots with broken chromosomes that shouldn't even be driving.

 

[Ozarkryder]

'Round these parts flashing your lights at someone stopped at an intersection or driveway means "Y'all go on right ahead". We have had quite a few car/bike accidents where the car driver said "I saw him, but he flashed his lights for me to go." The bikes had headlight modulators. They do get attention, but you still have to watch out and ride like the cagers are actively out to run you over.

 

[skuuter]

Riding Suits and Helmets also in Hi-Viz like this help a lot.....

I've gotten a "Little Lax" about wearin' Full Gear since gettin' into Trikes, but it has saved me on many occasions in the past. Anytime I dress fully in HI-VIZ I can always tell a large difference in the pull out/turn off in front of me count....IT WORKS.....ThumbUp

 

[Blondie Gal]

Saw your yaller gear - Scalp Hunter liked it - that's the color we chose so those crummy cagers couldn't miss us . . . so far, so good.

 

[skuuter]

Saw your yaller gear - Scalp Hunter liked it - that's the color we chose so those crummy cagers couldn't miss us . . . so far, so good.

It works....first weekend Ride I took a few years ago, I could see Folks start out, then catch Themselves.....I definetly have less close calls when I wear it.....ThumbUp

 

[Bikerbozo]

Wait...So Pink Gorilla's are known but unexpected?
Oh yeah, I always leave the spot lights on. And air horns do wonders for anybody even THINKING of pulling across my path.

 

[John Luciano]

3 toots for the AIR HORN. It has saved my Bacon more time than i care to mention. I have the flashing 3rd brake light ,Mud flap brake lights as well as 4 Honda brake lights . I just put LED brake lights on the trailer .I have had the modulator on all my bikes and I can see both points .It works but you must be careful that it doesn't give the wrong signal to cagers.

 

[Ozarkryder]

Wait...So Pink Gorilla's are known but unexpected?
Oh yeah, I always leave the spot lights on. And air horns do wonders for anybody even THINKING of pulling across my path.

The deal with the pink gorilla was we were to count the baton passes. I believe it is called target fixation. Seems a pink gorilla should be noticed! I cant remember the name for the other mind trick,something psychological.

Lights definitely do help, especially odd patterns. A triangle of lights is very noticeable - cars just don't look like that.

 

[Calman]

The second thing I bought when I started riding again in '07 was an International Orange motorcycle vest with silver reflecting panels sold at the local MCX/PX.

Oh, the first thing was a white helmet.

 

[Meastro319]

White helmet, very white large Honda trike, lots of rear lights (not so many on the side), and am now thinking of getting out a day-glo green T-shirt I got from a church workday to wear. I am also considering putting reflective tape on it. Modulators sound real nice AND effective. That's probably in the future. (maybe this winter)

 

[Shadowlord]

Around here I noticed the white helmet is an attention getter. (even though I don't own one). The police have white helmets and so many peoples first reaction is "COP". ThumbUp

 

[BeHereNow]

There have been no studies to show the modulating headlights are efffectvie.
They have been out for a long time, 30+ years. Just seems funny that no one could ever show they are helpful.
It would sure help sales.

 

[Saltywheels]

I wear a hi-viz vest over ANY jacket I wear. And the jackets have reflective stripes to boot! And have I had moments of hi-pucker factor?? Sure! But it's better than the alternative. Modulating high beams...well I dunno!

 

[Teal]

left thumb on the horn button (saved me last week,someone on the phone with a doggie on the wheel, tried to take my lane)
and one finger on the front brake lever, (saved me abt 2yrs ago, someone turned in front of me with my light on bright)

 

[Yogisan]

There have been no studies to show the modulating headlights are efffectvie.
They have been out for a long time, 30+ years. Just seems funny that no one could ever show they are helpful.
It would sure help sales.

The Feds (DOT) formally approved them for use in 1985. Now there are only three problems: 1) not all States have modified their laws to include the headlight modulator as being acceptable (which is, by itself, against the Federal Statutes), 2) not all the LEO's in states where they are approved know it and 3) no one is making any noise about it. They're too busy worrying about not being able to show off their shaved heads while riding.

This the adoption of these items was slowed down initially because everyone who got one also got a ticket for it. Not only that but remember, if you didn't look bad and dangerous in those days then you just weren't fittin' the image. Safety of any kind just didn't fit the bill. Lookin' like a 1%-er did.

I got a ticket last year for using my headlight modulator even though I'd been using it for over one year at the time. Why? Because the county LEO went strictly by the book, which doesn't address the modulator issue, just the issue of "flashing lights"; which by the way headlight modulators are not by technical definition. However, they are accepted by the MD MVA Attorney General, the State Trooper Safety division (who indicated action is in process to formally change the law), and the MD MVA as a whole. If you read the MD MVA's Motorcycle Operators Manual, pg. 19, it recommends using a headlight modulator. All the research that came up with that info also got me out of paying the ticket. ThumbUp

Studies are good for some things. But I don't need to wait for a study to tell me if I lay down in the middle of the street crosswise during rush hour traffic that I'll get run over. As far as I'm concerned, anything short of a fire in my gas tank that gets me noticed by people who are otherwise occupied by their own personal interests when driving is OK by me. I noticed the difference the first day I used the modulator and I see its value almost every time I'm out riding.

PS. The fact that after 30 years that they are being sold by more than one company should tell you that they must be getting bought by someone.

 

[ahamilton3]

I like my Pearl Yellow trike for visibility reasons - plus I like the color - plus I drive defensively and carefully all the time. No guarantees against having an accident, I know, but I do everything possible to avoid mishaps, either large ones or small ones.

 

[Blondie Gal]

Another reason we have enough lights on our black trike to be seen from outer space!!

 

[Ken45]

I've had my motorcycle license for little over a year, and I always wear blaze orange when I ride. SO FAR, I've never had a cage not see me. Also, a tip I picked up from my MSF course instructor -- keep your high beam on during the day.

I have heard that high beams from some bikes with dual headlights (like Goldwings) wash out the visibility of turn signals.

On the Goldwing trike and the FJR1300, I run adjust the headlights as high as possible but use the low beams.

As for jacket visibility, a few weeks ago I was in a group ride at a Yamaha demo days. I was wearing a flourescent yellow jacket. One of the guys in the back of the group told me that everytime he looked forward in the group, my jacket immediately caught his attention.

Our trike is silver. I kind of wish we had gotten a bright yellow one.

Ken

 

[MickUpi]

Do it!

If you're thinking about getting a headlight modulator, do it. Don't wait for some genius guru to tell you they work. Anyone with any ability to think should know a blinking light gets cagers attention. Don't we want attention at an intersection? I've heard some say they don't want to distract or upset cagers in front of them. I do turn mine off when behind cars at a traffic light. It's only 30 seconds out of their day. Why would you care what they think? It's your BUTT!

 

[Sidecarbill]

My father was a truck driver. He didn't have much patience for people. Anyway he stopped in a toll booth one time got out with his ballpein hammer. Walked to the car behind him that was following for last twenty miles or so with his high beams on, Broke all four headlights out and left. I guess little things can be annoying when you have to deal with it all day.

 

[MickUpi]

Congrats

Congrats to your Dad. I would not have been brave enough to do that, although I would have wanted to. Would he have done that for a 30 second duration of blinking? I would guess probably not. I always turn off the headlight modulator when I am close behind a truck. Their mirrors are gigantic and you can just about blind them.