I have come across a number of bikers who were injured because another driver said he or she did not see the motorcycle, even though the biker said the car driver looked right at him or her just before pulling out in front of the motorcycle. This is so common that studies estimate 43% of all motorcycle accidents occur as a result of an oncoming vehicle turning across the path of a rider. Although car and motorcycle drivers often place blame on each other, citing lack of driver etiquette or recklessness as the cause, I recently ran across an article that suggests that this may actually have more to do with the human brain’s failure to recognize a motorcycle as a “threat”. Regardless of “why”, it is safest to assume that motorcycles are “invisible” to car drivers that share the road. Safety organizations including the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the Hurt Study support a high level of conspicuity as the best way to stay safe on a motorcycle. Conspicuity is anything you can do to make sure you are seen while riding both during the day and at night. To achieve conspicuity, experts suggest that bikers take every opportunity to “be seen” by changing lanes, using the horn, wearing reflective clothing, using headlights at all times, using turn signals and flicking high beams – all to communicate position and intended position whenever possible.
Although there is always risk involved when riding a motorcycle, most bikers agree that their love for riding outweighs the risks involved. Riding is a lifestyle. Be careful not to allow someone else’s mistake ruin your lifestyle.
