Visual Awareness of Cyclists

[Jamesvon2]

Hello Biking World,

I am a high school student who is working on an engineering project to fix the problem of visual awareness and safety of bikers. I compiled a list of questions that are related to the issue in order to give me a statistical analysis of how to solve my problem. The link to the survey is below. Thank You.

https://docs.google.com/a/k12.frisc...bM_7xqgN3GqEhOvl-KfhijXVekcSTh1goGGw/viewform

Sincerely,

James

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A note from the moderators:

We know that like helmets, high visibility gear can create a lot of contentious debate. We ask you all to bear in mind that this questionnaire is for a high school project so please keep your comments constructive and polite at all times.

Anyone being rude to this new member risks being excluded from the discussion.

 

[cyberknight]

Survey doesnt allow me to click on anything, tried 2 browsers.

 

[gavgav]

Hello Biking World,

I am a high school student who is working on an engineering project to fix the problem of visual awareness and safety of bikers. I compiled a list of questions that are related to the issue in order to give me a statistical analysis of how to solve my problem. The link to the survey is below. Thank You.

https://docs.google.com/a/k12.frisc...bM_7xqgN3GqEhOvl-KfhijXVekcSTh1goGGw/viewform

Sincerely,

James

I don't seem to be able to click on any of the questions in your survey?

 

[snorri]

Survey completed.
The degree of visibility varies at different times of the year, eg the low sun in winter months can be dangerous for cyclists as drivers fail to make allowance for not seeing what might be in front of them.
Bicycle lighting is a legal requirement during darkness or poor visibility, and not something law abiding cyclists can choose to buy or not buy.
I'm not so sure that cyclists improving their visibility will have a greatly beneficial effect on their safety. The problem come from the failure of motor vehicle drivers to observe, either due to driving at inappropriate speed, poor observational skills or allowing themselves to be distracted from the task in hand.

 

[r04DiE]

Survey doesnt allow me to click on anything, tried 2 browsers.

I don't seem to be able to click on any of the questions in your survey?

Have you signed into your Google accounts?

 

[gavgav]

Have you signed into your Google accounts?

Ah, right, I don't have one of them. Will set one up, thanks.

 

[snorri]

Ah, right, I don't have one of them. Will set one up, thanks.

I didn't have to sign in to my Google account, unless this happens automatically?

 

[cyberknight]

Have you signed into your Google accounts?

Ah, right, I don't have one of them. Will set one up, thanks.

Really should not need to create a google account for a survery.

 

[MontyVeda]

Survey completed.
The degree of visibility varies at different times of the year, eg the low sun in winter months can be dangerous for cyclists as drivers fail to make allowance for not seeing what might be in front of them.
Bicycle lighting is a legal requirement during darkness or poor visibility, and not something cyclists can choose to buy or not buy.
I'm not so sure that cyclists improving their visibility will have a greatly beneficial effect on their safety. The problem come from the failure of motor vehicle drivers to observe, either due to driving at inappropriate speed, poor observational skills or allowing themselves to be distracted from the task in hand.

Lights are something that cyclists can choose to buy or not. We've all seen people riding bikes after sundown with no lights.

 

[r04DiE]

Really should not need to create a google account for a survery.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[jonny jeez]

If you are genuine in this then perhaps look at this not as a problem that needs fixing but an extension of comfort.

People dont see cyclists for many reasons, mostly its nothing to do with their visibility.

Whilst I think it makes sense to have lights on my bike in the dark, I'm not sure I feel "unsafe" at the times that i don't.

My point here is that suggesting that this is an accepted "problem" will likely see your project fail, as many will instantly disagree with that stance and reject the design. Approaching it as an additional benefit may be more successful.

Good luck.

 

[briantrumpet]

I'm not so sure that cyclists improving their visibility will have a greatly beneficial effect on their safety. The problem come from the failure of motor vehicle drivers to observe, either due to driving at inappropriate speed, poor observational skills or allowing themselves to be distracted from the task in hand.

It's always worth bearing in mind the Invisible Gorilla phenomenon - 50% of the people who watched the video below on the original experiment didn't see the gorilla (because they were focused on counting passes). I'm just not sure how you deal with the selectivity of human attention. We are necessarily and constantly selective in our attention - it's the only way our brains can cope with the endless and dense amount of sensory information that floods in.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The problem lies with drivers of motorised vehicles. You'd be better to come up to a solution of them not looking. Maybe a radar system that'll stop them pulling across cyclists.

 

[dim]

Hi Viz stands out from the rest .... people can say what they want, but as a cyclist in Cambridge where there are thousands of cyclists, the guys who stand out and are easily visible are those who wear high viz in the day

and at night, the guys on bikes who stand out are the guys who wear the proviz reflective jackets ...