Ok, I’m looking for some input from all of you. We all know that motorcyclists may as well be invisible when we’re on the road. It’s often the case that car drivers don’t notice us until after a near miss or worse. We’ve all seen the “loud pipes save lives” and “look twice, save a life” bumper stickers, but our sportbikes generally don’t have loud pipes and people are not looking twice. So here’s my question. What can we do that would most effectively increase awareness of our presence on the road? I’m interested in all kinds of ideas, from flashing neon jackets to television ad campaigns. I know we’ve got some creative minds here on the oRg. Have at it.
obviously riding in groups helps..
solo there are a few things like high beams, HIDs, neon and or bright clothing and paint..
there are also a few riding habits like where you position yourself on the road or freeways, on the freeway I don't wait for people to see me, I get in their face or in front of them, I don't lollygag in blind spots or stay in a single formation too long, I try to move faster than everyone else, gives me the control advantage...
on roadways and thoroughfares ride in the best position available, on 2 lane each way with center turn lane I like to ride on the left line of the left lane, it gives cars pulling out a chance to see me coming from a further distance as I am located in a better field of view as apposed to being on the right line of the far right lane...
I also have more exit strategies positioned there, 2 full lanes of travel to the right and a turn lane to the left, if I am stuck all the way to the right its hard to maneuver right to avoid a hazard...
NEVER GET PINNED IN!!!
always have an exit, the more the merrier, don't ride alongside or behind other vehicles, it prevents motorists from seeing you and limits your exits in case of...
riding single lane 2 way county roads I hug the center, it gives vehicles pulling out more time to see me...
never speed in the wrong areas like city streets and thoroughfares where there are many many pull outs from shopping centers, gas stations and so on.. excessive speed reduces a motorists ability to properly calculate your rate of closure, and in some cases even see you at all..
its why you hear, "I thought I could make it" or "I didn't see him"...
of course sometimes nothing is right or wrong and stuff happens but the more you stay awake and pay attention to everyone else the better chance you have of saving an accident from happening when someone else isn't paying attention...
loud pipes is false security! rollin around thinking your ear deafening pipes are your ticket to always being noticed is ridiculous, some people do drive with their windows up and music on, some people are hard of hearing and some people just don't take notice to loud noises either way, ever notice motorists that don't pull over for screaming sirens?
another safety factor.. know your equipment! keep it in superior working order and know its full potential, you need to know if a car pulls out in front of you do you have time to stop or do you need to swerve and accelerate, swerve and brake, or just bail? these things are all determined by rate of closure, distance x speed, or time, in this case distance + speed and time are all one in the same, try to learn braking times and distances in relation to each other, for instance, at 45 mph how much distance does it take to come to a full emergency stop, and how much time did it take.
the reality is there's nothing we can do to make everyone notice us, this is an issue that needs to be emphasized during the educational process of drivers education to teach motorists the importance of always paying strict attention and how split seconds can make the difference, a higher skill bar would be nice too...
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