Rate Your Own Visibility

[VEGASRIDER]

In general terms, I have to think the main thrust of this is to emphasize that riding in 'compromised' visibility increases the risk to the rider in a huge way.

Riding in the rain, in heavy traffic, in a blind spot? Bad idea. Glow in the dark clothes, and a flashing beanie aren't going to amount to squat.... best to continue to treat yourself as completely invisible.

Same thing with riding into the setting sun, or rising sun...... if drivers are looking for car sized silouettes..... the bike disapears, regardless of modulators, extra lights, jumping up and down on the seat.....

Great point and I agree 100%. But most of the time, riding conditions are not ideal and some of us have to deal with it and just ride. We try to be preparred the best we can by having the proper gear and equipment for those these type of riding conditions when considered poor, especially when it comes to visabliity.

Just like flying on an airplane. It's dark with lots of thunderstorms, it's raining you just know it's going to be a bumpy flight. Not really the best time to fly but you get on that plane don't you?

 

[RJ2112]

Great point and I agree 100%. But most of the time, riding conditions are not ideal and some of us have to deal with it and just ride. We try to be preparred the best we can by having the proper gear and equipment for those these type of riding conditions when considered poor, especially when it comes to visabliity.

Just like flying on an airplane. It's dark with lots of thunderstorms, it's raining you just know it's going to be a bumpy flight. Not really the best time to fly but you get on that plane don't you?

(I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Las Vegas, and 'rain' in the same sentance...I'm in Oregon, LOL. You know it's summer because the rain is warmer!)

Knowledge is key; situational awareness is paramount. I'm sure your technique in the rain is less aggressive than in 100% dry, 'perfect' conditions. I'd be very surprised if you didn't double your following distance in low traction conditions, and ensure you were not in the 'roost' from a car, or semi truck.

The way my last training course put it, everyone rides in compromised conditions MOST of the time.... it's a matter of correctly gauging the adjustments you make to compensate. Whoever is most sucessful, rides the most without problems.

If you are aware of the fact that people see you even LESS when conditions degrade, you can adjust your speed, lane position, and aggression to compensate. Loud horns, reflective clothing, high beams, modulators, extra flashing lights..... all that stuff does (in my personal, not so humble opinion) is increase the false sense of security we can develop as riders.

Pride goes before a fall.......

 

[Humperdinkel]

I'm telling you it's extra points for that Hi Vis Cheese Helmet!!! LOL! I need to find one of those and carve it out to fit on my helmet!!!!

:rof: :rof: Packers do it with safety Cliff :thumbup:

 

[Kriswithak]

Thanks for taking our survey. Your visibility rating is 11.75 out of 10.

Hmmmm....
Anyway, some of the things in that test look to me like trick questions. Hand signals on a bike with no blinkers sure, but its dangerous in a lot of situations to take your hands off the handle bar, especially for a visible movement. To me suggesting this at all may make you more visible, but its a safety risk in itself.
Indicators being -on- when not being used, illegal.
High beams on during the day - illegal.
The bike profile one also looks like total crap reading through their statement on it. Bikes with fairings and windscreens are underrepresented in accidents..... because only experienced riders use them....
Avoiding riding at certain times of day.... its a bad safety tip. You should be a capable rider all the time, and in bad conditions be able to ride in a safer more visible manner to make up for it.
Horn? Only time I use it is when someone annoys me, I ride safely to make sure I avoid having an accident, and the horn is there to show someone they are being dangerous after I know I'm safe, its not there in the hope I'll be able to rely on someone reacting the right way to hearing it.
The bike colour one is also dubious, people see movement more than colour.

 

[knightrider]

6.25, not too bad. Didn't know about some of this stuff when I first got my gear. So black helmet and gear for the most part. But my bike is extremely bright green so no problems with the bike's visibility.

Cool quiz.

 

[Jez]

You can purchase a device that will make your headlight flash on and off whenever you ride with your high beams on. Similar to what you see on emergency vehicles. It's perfectly legal for motorcycles to have them. There is a sensor that will automatically shut of the modulator when it gets dark.

There is a debate whether they work, don't work, or even work too well. From the riders who have them, they all agree that a lot of times when they are rolling down the fast lane on the freeway, more people tend to pull over and yield thinking that you're some type of emergency vehicle.

I can imagine that's an issue. I have a white helmet and a hi-viz jacket with reflective tape, and inevitably when I come up behind someone in a car they slow down to the speed limit. This is why:

If I had a flashing headlight as well I bet they'd pull over.

 

[Norbert]

I can imagine that's an issue. I have a white helmet and a hi-viz jacket with reflective tape, and inevitably when I come up behind someone in a car they slow down to the speed limit. This is why:

If I had a flashing headlight as well I bet they'd pull over.

That's got to be a European thing. The local motorcycle cops here ride around like they're Erik Estrada from "CHiPs."

My local police:

Erik Estrada:

So when I ride around with my ICON reflective vest, I bet the cagers just think I'm a garbage man or a construction worker late for his job :BLAA:

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks for taking our survey. Your visibility rating is 11.75 out of 10.

....... Bikes with fairings and windscreens are underrepresented in accidents.....

QUOTE]

I'd love to see where you are getting that statistic from. That cannot be true in the US; I'd estimate well over 70% of all motorcycles on the road here, have a fairing or windscreen of some sort...... And sport bikes are probably the highest group of bikes (per capita) involved in accidents. They very nearly all have fairings. (unless someone has already crashed, and gone naked.... a small percentage, returning to the street)

Very few cruisers here, don't have a windscreen. Most dual sports, the vast majority of sport and sport touring rigs.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

(I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Las Vegas, and 'rain' in the same sentance...I'm in Oregon, LOL. You know it's summer because the rain is warmer!)

Knowledge is key; situational awareness is paramount. I'm sure your technique in the rain is less aggressive than in 100% dry, 'perfect' conditions. I'd be very surprised if you didn't double your following distance in low traction conditions, and ensure you were not in the 'roost' from a car, or semi truck.

QUOTE]

Yes it rains, about 6-10 times a year. In the meantime between the rainfall, which can be months, you have the buildup of grease, oil and dirt that accumulate over time. And when it finally rains, it's litterally like an ice rink after the initial rainfall. Coupled with that there is absolutely no absorbtion for the precipitaton as far as the surface goes, it just accumulates and becomes a flash flood.

If it rained almost on a daily basis like the Pacific Northwest, the roads would be fine, wet, but fine.

Yes, I make adjustments to my riding style when it rains. I try my best to be out in front, I hate getting caught up behind the wash. I will filter up through the front of the intersections just so that I can stay ahead of the traffic, rather than behind.