Being a Biker means accepting the fact that riding two wheels is more dangerous than driving four wheels. It's just the way it is, and this is the reason I am not longer on 2 wheels. But I believe this particular Blog is still important, which is why I have updated it.
There are ways to be safer on the road; extra training like BikeSafe Courses, is a very good way. Taking Advanced Training is another. But one of the accepted techniques, received wisdom if you like, is that by having your headlight on during day-light hours, makes you more visible and hence, safer.I want to challenge this particular thinking because I believe, in some circumstances, it makes the situation worse.
When I started riding a Motorbike in the mid-1960's, the issue of having your headlight on during the day never arose; you didn't have it on. Nobody did.
Then there was a time when you rode with your headlight on but covered with an orange diffuser. This was the beginning of the move towards full headlights during the day. It wasn't questioned because, of course, having your headlight on means you are more visible and so, more likely to be seen, and so.... safer.
However, over the last 2 years, I have been riding a Honda Deauville, and have found that there seems to have been a rise in the number of drivers who pull out on me, particularly, from side-roads. The scale of the problem was that, on a eight miles commute to work (16 miles round) there was a 100% certainty that at least one driver would pull out on me on each leg of the trip journey. When I say 'pull out' I mean a potential collision situation, not a mere nuisance.
This came to a head in April 2010, when a woman in a white convertible pulled out on me, at a bad junction, when I was about 20 feet away. Because it was a bad junction I was going cautiously. So when this half-blind Muppet pulls out, I braked and sounded the horn. She is, by now, completely across my side of the carriageway. At the sound of the horn she visibly jumped and her eyes widen in shock as though I had been suddenly beamed down from the Enterprise. What was even more disturbing was that all the while she had been looking directly at me and my bike. But she simply had no idea that I was there. At least, as I later thought about the problem, I believe she had seen my headlight but had no idea I was as close as I was.
So, why was this? Here is my theory.
A single point of light, which is the Motorbike's headlight, makes the judgement of distance from source very difficult. For example, an experienced road-user, if seeing a car in the distance with its headlights on, has the distance between the left and right light to judge width of the approaching vehicle and therefore the spatial ability to judge distance from source reasonably accurately. This is not true for a single point of light.
Of course, I can hear you say, 'but a motorbike is not just a headlight, it's a large lump of vehicle with a person riding on it,' and of course this is correct. But it is only correct if it can be seen so that road-users can then spatially judge how far away it is because people know how big humans are and roughly how big a motorbike is. But if the headlight dazzles the road-user (even partially) they are no longer able to clearly see the bike or rider and there is then no way for the road-user to accurately spatially judge the distance between them and the motorbike.
I believe this is the problem. So to test this theory, on 6th March 2010 I started riding during daylight hours, with the headlight off. Since that time, on my regular commute, and on other trips, I have covered (to date: 27-July-10) 1025 miles and only experienced 2 pullouts as against an estimated potential 104; an approximate reduction of 98%.
I think that is very interesting.
Of course, there have been studies in America and other countries which suggest that riding with a headlight on is safer. But there never seems to have been a definitive study carried out in the UK, and road conditions and road attitudes in other countries do not translate accurately to this country. Also, headlight positioning on motorbikes is a factor concerning dazzle.
What I have found is not necessarily true for other motorbikes; I can only relate what I have discovered experientially. On these grounds I want to challenge the notion that riding a motorbike with your headlight on is always going to mean that you are going to be safer.
So, if it is not necessarily safer to ride with your headlight on, what can be done to make motorcyclists more visible? Well for one thing, it would help if other road-users learnt to improve their observation. Then the old excuse, 'Sorry mate, I didn't see you', might become a thing of the past.
Co-incidentally, the latest knee-jerk ideology within certain police forces is that bikers need to be more visible and should all wear Hi-Viz at all times.
But it doesn't matter how visible you make yourself if you don't register with other road-users.
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So true most drivers are in a world of their own. They think that they are the only one on the road. Also that pedestrians don't exist.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting point you make, Dave. This entry will certainly make me think more about being aware of bikers visibility whilst I'm out driving.
ReplyDeleteI have some sympathy with the arguement put forward. I to began my motorcycling day in the early 60's so have seen the many changes that have taken place
ReplyDeleteApart from having a weak front light [ possibly] . i do not believe that the lights are powerfull enough to dazzle in daylight though they may be stuck up in the air anyway. If they however do dazzle at least they will be more prominently seen.[hopefully]
If we are in early morning commuting then we may have to take into account low sun in the eyes of the car drivers and that would in some circs. make even a bus difficult to see and it wouldnt matter if one had headlights on or day glo, direct sun behind the rider is a killer and more prevelant early and later in the day, usually commuting times.
Further to this, i mentioned buses and yes u are right, studies from around the world have revealed several interesting facts. If u presume that what us see through your eyes is like looking at a TV screen picture with millions of pixels then a motorcyclist will only be about 3 [ depending how far away he may be and a bus would at the same distance be about 15 or 20 or so much larger and if both vehicles travelling at same speed towards one then the bus continues to increase in size and appear larger but the bike by contrast doesnt.
Add to this another studied fact, that if say seen together the bus would impose a greater threat than the bike, as would a big waggon or train and therefore of greater status on the road and something to be avoided. The bike IF seen may be mistaken for a pedal cyclist [ same size really] travelling,[ as a bike would] presumably slower, and not being considered as dangerous and therefore to some degree disregarded when it comes to possible danger.
Finally u say that the driver actually made eye contact. This may be true and some experts in books etc advise eye contact. NOT TRUE. I have had eye contact with many car drivers and in some instances they have performed same as your have described. Studies have been made and the conclusion is that drivers see what they expect to see and also what the want to see. At a junct they are looking for [a] danger ie the bus or van or tram or whatever and [b] what is likely to be on the road . As motorcyclists represent only 1% of vehiclular traffic they do not expect to see us and therefore on both counts, of not being prominently there by numbers and not constituting a danger or threat, we are disregarded. again.
I have further noticed an increase in drivers at junctions looking to the left first and not as should happen looking towards the right and therefore at the imediate danger danger ie the oncoming motorcyclist. This, if u want to count it occurs about 25% of the time. I dont know why that is but add to it the fact that an increased number of foreigners living here would do that as they are used to looking left first then there is an increased problem for the future.
One can reduce the risk by riding in the correct position for approaching a junct. on the left and by riding slow and at a good distance away from any vehicle in front. the larger the leading vehicle the further away one should be, but i'm telling u how to suck eggs and i am sure u know.
I hope that others have now perhaps a greater understanding of the variety of studies that have and are being made, all over the world, on behalf of motorcyclists.
PS as a PS even with lights on, high vis and eye contact never, never presume u have been seen. Its that old advisde of ride as if u were invisible and therefore prctise defensive riding techniques.
Bikes have short wheelbases and bounce a fair bit too, so a correctly aligned dip beam can flash other drivers unintentionally. They should understand that even if you did flash, it only tells them that you are there, but common practice dictates that they might see your unintended flash as "please pull out in front of me" signal. This will only add to the obvious difficulties in judging distance, speed, size etc when the light itself is hogging their attention. Being potentially mistaken for a moped probably increases the chances of people pulling out about seven fold (perhaps car driver's only fear bigger motorbikes because they believe they speed everywhere).
ReplyDeleteSadly, my headlight, as with all modern bikes, has no OFF switch... And many drivers' brains have no ON switch! Let's be careful out there.
The problem will not go away as from this year due to europian directives all motor cars will be required to have driving lights on by way of manufacture so we will not be alone.
ReplyDeleteI to have a honda which has no light off switch and i ride what one can consider a big bike. both black and beautiful.
My safe position in town streets is 2/3rd into the carriageway, well away from nearside junctions and far enough away from any vehicles in front so as to get the greatest possible visibility for myself and to be as visible as possible[ short of wearing lights on my leathers] to other road users. I do alter this position but only to do so for safety reasons that is.
I have never been bothered by the possibility of my dipped light being mistaken for flashing. My beam is quite high and broad so it i presume it doesnt flick into someones eye level and look like a flash. On the other hand i dont ride in the dark anymore and would possibly find the lights to high and not direct enough onto the road surface. Swings and roundabouts realy.,