How do they not see us?

[Boris Bajic]

I do not know (to address the thread title) why some road users sometimes fail to spot others.

I know only that they do. I'm glad you weren't hurt and I hope the wheel straightens out OK

The £30 could have been an honest offer from someone who felt bad about the nudge. A few years ago I rolled my car into the rear of another at a Give Way. Entirely my fault. We stopped and the guy was lovely about it. He clearly had new scrapes on his bumper, alongside older ones. He insisted on taking it no further, thanked me for my apology and refused my offer of money.

I think that some road users simply fail to register everything that passes in front of their eyes. It can hurt more when it's a car driver who does that, but most road users have missed things from time to time.

There are morons out on the road, but there are also competent, law-abiding, skilled road users who have a momentary lapse of concentration.

I usually assume that no-one has seen me. I find myself less disappointed than some.

 

[Silver Fox]

Assume every motorist is an idiot not paying attention and drive / ride accordingly.

 

[Alien8]

... by the the remaining 99% of competent road users.

99% eh? Slightly optimistic methinks.

 

[betty swollocks]

'How do they not see us?'
They're not looking for us, that's why. They are looking for other cars and lorries.

 

[Brandane]

This was recently posted on a motorcycle forum which I frequent:

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

It goes some way to explaining how small objects such as bicycles and even motorbikes can be invisible to the peripheral vision of other road users, but only if they suffer from target fixation; which unfortunately a sizeable number of car drivers seem to do!

 

[gaz]

In the winter I wear all black, not had more SMIDSY moments than when I wore Hi-Viz

 

[Boris Bajic]

In the winter I wear all black, not had more SMIDSY moments than when I wore Hi-Viz

You have learned from the glorious Red Army in the early years of Barbarossa.

Soldiers in need of punishment, correction or re-education were sometimes dressed in black during the winter and sent in first.

They were easily spotted. Does your commuter run include Volgagrad?

 

[the snail]

In the winter I wear all black, not had more SMIDSY moments than when I wore Hi-Viz

In daylight black is a good contrast against the road etc, in the dark it doesn't matter what colour you wear, it's down to lighting/reflectives.

 

[ianrauk]

In daylight black is a good contrast against the road etc, in the dark it doesn't matter what colour you wear, it's down to lighting/reflectives.

Indeed. At night Hi-Viz just looks like any washed out colour under sodium street lighting.

 

[Silver Fox]

In the winter I wear all black, not had more SMIDSY moments than when I wore Hi-Viz

The choice of cycling clothing is down to the individual and we've done the hi-viz debate many times.

However, in an ideal world every motorist would be paying attention to the road and potential hazards at all times. But this is the real world where people drive in their metal boxes, cocooned from the outside world, unable to look or think much beyond the end of the car bonnet.

Should a cyclist be unfortunate enough to be involved in a collision one of the factors that could influence a prosecution against the offending motorist, as I understand it, would be " Was the cyclist there to be seen"

Yes, even if you're lit up like Blackpool illuminations some still won't register your presence but I'd rather be able to say " I was there to be seen". Whereas riding in Klingon cloaking mode gives the motorist more chance of coming up with the SMIDSY line and could, just could, go in their favour in the event of a collision.

 

[akb]

It happens to all of us regardless of lit up like a Christmas tree or not. But that be why we, as cyclists, should be assertive on the roads. Personally, a high viz jacket with reflective strips and a change in my riding style has minimised the incidents.
From experience, it is hard to change a drivers attitude, which is why we should change our own.

 

[gambatte]

If we should all be wearing reflectives, then we shouldn't have dark or dull coloured cars...?

 

[musa]

the problem is once your out of the blind spot, then be alert

and thats blind spot on either side

 

[ianrauk]

the problem is once your out of the blind spot, then be alert

and thats blind spot on either side

Indeed, as I know full well.
2 Hope1 lights full blast and a 3led flasher and the cop who knocked me off still didn't see me.

 

[jonny jeez]

This was recently posted on a motorcycle forum which I frequent:

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

I've seen this type of effect before and it may well be a cause.

I know that police drivers are trained to look at the furthest point along the road that they can and leave their peripheral vision to pick up on everything else.

interesting, take a look at the green flashing dot again but this time kind of defocus(almost cross your eyes) as if you are focussing on a distant or deeper part of the image...like that police driver...and the yellow dots don't vanish any longer.

also, if you ever want to look at a star at night you'll find it impossible as it keeps vanishing. try looking to the side of the star and it doesn't.

Same thing I think, the cones and rods in your eyes pick up of stuff in your periphery more than those you focus on sometimes