4 HN users recommended this explainer3 months2019–2026score 3
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026
Cited in threads on motorcycle and cyclist safety to explain why drivers look and still miss them.
FortNine's tongue-in-cheek guide to why drivers fail to see motorcyclists and how riders can make themselves more visible. It touches on perception psychology, including the role of saccades.
“a longer but more relevant "motorcycle invisibility training" video” (HN, 2019)
There's a great, if a bit cheesy video from FortNine [1] on why motorcyclists can be basically invisible to even cautious drivers due to the way our brain processes information, and I think the same thing would apply for bicyclists. When I'm on my bike (of either type) I assume nobody sees me and act accordingly. For cyclists and pedestrians to really be safe we need to design our road infrastructure to counteract those issues from the start. I visited Copenhagen a few years ago and biked everywhere, and it was a real eye opener how safe and easy it was compared with my home in Chicago. [1] [this video]
As a motorcyclist -- and lifelong learner w/ a degree in cognitive psychology -- I really appreciate demonstrations like this one^1 from Daniel Simons. It's a short video (< 90s), but for many first-time viewers, it's an eye-opening experience. ^1. [link] Edit: just saw @elosarv's link to a longer but more relevant "motorcycle invisibility training" video ( [this video]
Longer, more relevant motorcycle invisibility video.
For all practical purposes bicycles and motorcycles are invisible to drivers. FortNine has an amusing video on it: [this video] My personal experience, after years as a courier on both upright, recumbent, and motorcycles is that I am more "visible" on a recumbent then the other options because I'm "weird" enough to make it into a drivers consciousness... None of this is ofcourse scientifically relevant data.
Amusing video on why bikes are invisible to drivers.
No, cars are isolated. Safe driving practices are safe. Like knowing the perception psychology that makes it hard for cars to see you and try to counter that. [this video]
Perception psychology that makes motorcyclists hard to see.
As a motorcyclist I can confirm. Left turning vehicles are enemy number 1. But all SMIDSY's (sorry mate, didn't see you) are extremely dangerous. He's video that talks about how saccades play a role - [this video]
> or even shocked (as if I appeared from thin air) Motorcyclists are invisible. Never rely on others seeing you, ride as if they're an obstacle you have to navigate. You can hide a whole truck behind the A-pillar of modern cars, let alone a motorcycle. At certain angles, human eyes have complete blind spots that we're not aware of because our brain filters them out. Motorcycles fit perfectly into those. Never hover in people's blind spots. Pass quickly or stay back. Do not drive parallel with another vehicle. Goes for cars too. When approaching another car perpendicularly (like an intersection), remember that humans lose depth perception because their nose covers one of the eyes. A driver literally cannot tell how far you are. Our usual proxy is the distance between headlights. Motorcyles have 1 headlight so this heuristic doesn't work, but we don't realize that it doesn't. [this video]
Supports claim that motorcyclists are invisible to drivers.
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