Visibility, Are You Being Seen?

A course instructor I had claimed that after being rear ended (tough to avoid), the most common accident is caused when a cage at a stop on a side road to your right pulls out into your path. He stated that if someone in a cage is in that position relative to you and your bike, ease off the throttle until their eyes make contact with you as you near the intersection. When they do, speed up and go. If not, continue to throttle down and prepare for a possible escape plan.

Greg
 
There is a reason why construction vests are dayglo lime green. @Hound sort of proved that, and the driver of the bike in front of him displays a lime green right arm that I spotted second. I wonder about a white helmet...my Schuberth was lime green but now I wear a white Shoei.

If people are not expecting a motorcycle (re: famous experiment w/ basketballs and gorilla) or are distracted by their phone, they are not going to see you...period. For every other driver, it's bright lights and colorful clothing.

@tonythecarguy's Whelen M7 auxiliary brake light stood out at half a mile in a line of bikes. I'm not suggesting everyone mount one of these on their bikes, but its brightness was unmistakable. I still remember seeing him light up ahead in the string of OHSTOC participants on a ride.
 
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One of the reasons I always try to split between cars at an stop sign is to avoid being rear ended.
I recently got this
www.brakefreetech.com

Brake Free Helmet Brake Light

The home of Brake Free, the brightest smart high visibility helmet brake light accessory with wireless brake detection. The first detachable brake light that can easily mount to most helmets! Be seen to be safe.
www.brakefreetech.com www.brakefreetech.com
If you are in a non splitting state you might consider it.
 
OK, here’s mine, plus hi viz yellow airbag vest. Additional lighting out back (on the top box and also, a decel light on the J-cruise helmet as well as helmet lights on my Neotecs that are activated when braking on the STs (and the ST lights have a TailBlazer flasher, plus the top box lights strobe (quick flash x 3, slower flash x 3, then steady on). If you can’t see me, well let’s just say you’re somewhat vision impaired. And yes, I ride just a little faster than grandma (but not by much):

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^^Those lights under the mains on the 2000 are old (I think H7 halogen bulbs) and the 2000 now has the LED switchbacks and clear lenses on the side markers- that’s a older pic from Tail of the Dragon
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^^The 94 has LEDs in the mains and the small accessory lights on the forks are cheap but increase being seen (I hope)


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The Silverwing fork lights were off eBay and have 3 settings, low, high, and strobe (but I don’t use them in strobe fashion). The mains are LEDs and the marker/ indicators are also LEDs but I’m stuck with them as yellow as Honda has them as single filament 1156 bulbs from the factory, so they have to be amber. I don’t ride at night so it doesn’t concern me as much if the beam pattern isn’t the same as a halogen.
 
If cars hit fire engines with lights blazing and sirens going, we cannot expect an inattentive driver to 'see' us.
At the end of the day, you just have to assume they don't see you - because they ain't looking for you.
I've made eye contact with drivers, they would smile at me, and then pull out in front of me.
I always assume a driver is going to do the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.
That way I am prepared if they do and I am pleasantly surprised if they don't! :biggrin:
Nothing wrong with having all the lights you want but they won't save you anymore than loud pipes will. ;)
I think blasts from my Fiamm Freeway Blaster horns have saved my bacon more than other stuff from drivers.
When they go off they sound like an old Buick so the driver is looking around trying to figure where the old lead sled is.
I've even had a 'latte launch' by an inattentive driver that decided to come over on top of me.
Her passenger window just happened to be open when she came over and she got an earful.
When I hit the horn button she launched her latte up in the air and I just waved to her and smiled.
 
Uncle Phil said:
If cars hit fire engines with lights blazing and sirens going, we cannot expect an inattentive driver to 'see' us.
At the end of the day, you just have to assume they don't see you - because they ain't looking for you.
I've made eye contact with drivers, they would smile at me, and then pull out in front of me.
I always assume a driver is going to do the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.
That way I am prepared if they do and I am pleasantly surprised if they don't! :biggrin:
Nothing wrong with having all the lights you want but they won't save you anymore than loud pipes will. ;)
If a driver is not paying attention, they won't see you no matter what you do.
Click to expand...
Just make believe every driver is your angry ex wife! She don’t want to see you!!!
 
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