white helmets

[sparrow_34]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2870654a11,00.html

i wonder if you will be able to claim a discount on the acc levy for wearing a white helmet or a fluro riding suit :sly:

go the statisticians

[laRIKin]

If you wear a pink one with green dots, you will never have an accident.

Do they live in the real world?

[XRNR]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2870654a11,00.html
...go the statisticians
Yet again we are feed bullshit about speeding (as we all know !)


From sparrow's article...The study, published this week in the British Medical Journal, was undertaken over a three-year period on Auckland roads, and showed that most motorcycle crashes occurred in urban 50kmh speed zones, during the day and in fine weather.
Where people are doing U-turns in front of you, or not giving way, & claiming they didn't see you. (who was it who mentioned flashing beakons for helmuts? )

Obviously we need to out-law this pathetic speed that only people who are intent on killing m/cyclists off are enforcing.

How about a minimum speed of say 70km when the sun shines :devil2:

[k14]

That is the biggest load of bullshit i have ever read. The results would be skewed heaps by lots of factors. How about the fact that white helmets are probably the least common of helmet colours. I reckon that around 50% of motorbike helmets are black (do you guys reckon?), just anothe load of propaganda bullshit.

[Jackrat]

I read a report done by a Uni' some where that proved???????
that black was the safest colour due to the silhouette affect.
I do a lot of long range shooting and that is very true but only in that situation,I will never bet my life on what any of these self styled experts have to say.I don't rely on anybody seeing me for any reason,Hey they might be out to get me anyway. :msn-wink:

[MacD]

The biggest problem is that it is a retrospective study where the riders chose their own preferred helmet colour. Therefore more "conservative" riders may have chosen white helmets as they were perceived to be "safer". So what the study is probably telling us is that people who wear white helmets ride more cautiously?

On the other hand I wouldn't rule out the effect of wearing low contrast gear, such as black helmets, on visibility. Peripheral vision is effectively "colour-blind" and is sensitive to contrast and movement, so anything that has higher contrast will be more visible. As Jackrat points out, under certain conditions that can be black on a white/light background, but whether this is true for riding on urban roads i'm not sure?
:raghead:

[Holy Roller]

I've worn a white open faced helmet for 20 yrs and never come off while wearing it..... My full face helmets have been Yellow broke that one, blue broke that one also, black - that one broke my nose...
I now have another black one but hardly use it..
I wonder why :whistle:

[MadDuck]

Well I a wear white helmet because I managed to get it free with the bike. Dont make me cautious/conservative.... just a tight ass :crazy:

[Skyryder]

Colour contrast is a signicant factor in observation. When you consider urban riding, and I am not going to try and describe what urban riding is as there are many variable, but one thing stands out: our riding background is usually dark, shadows, road seal, buildings, and even, under some conditions shop windows. We may decry some of these findings but the fact of the matter is that we are small compared to most road users and not easily seen in the best of conditions. I went for a short ride today out on the open road. Now I keep a sharp watch out in both my side mirrors on a regular basis. I had just used my indicators and was about to overtake a vehicle when a motorcycle went past me as if I was standing still. I was travelling at 100k's and took a quick look in the side mirror when I saw him/her. What pissed me off was he was travelling with no headlights. HE/SHE COULD NOT BE SEEN. Now if I had begun to overtake the vehicle in front of me and we had clipped, not much point in arguing who was in the right or wrong. Injuries do not take right or wrong into account And as I said I keep a sharp lookout in my side mirrors. How many of us have had a simular experiance? A motorcyclist comes up behind and we do not know they are there. Well I am not going to buy a white helmut, pink leathers, etc but I do travell with my lights on, (I do not have a choice as the light will not turn off) and if you want the best visibility possible for yourself use a yellow bulb.

Skyryder

[750Y]

I wear a white helmet because i believe people will see it better day & night. I didn't need some bullshit study to back that up, it's common sense. I also wear a clear visor because only clear is clear & that's how i like my vision to be. revolutionary concepts huh.

[Yamahamaman]

If tin-top steerer's (notice I did not use the word 'drivers') cannot manage to see a tail light or a head light, what the hell is the colour a helmet got to do with it???

[SPman]

Shit, they do enough damage when they can't see you....imagine how much damage they could do if they did! :eek5:

[scumdog]

I wear a black (or a few black helmets), my thoughts are that the white helmet wearers are VERY safety conscious anyway so distort the figures anyway, I have a pair of those horrible spot-lights on eachside of my headlight, they are of a "widespread" beam effect and as sush are as good as any white helmet.
I have noticed that "cagers" are more aware of my presence than ever now that I have fitted these light, if you want to know any more just e-mail me, it could just save yor ass. :sneaky2:

[Jackrat]

The only contact incident I've ever had with a car I was wearing a yellow rain coat.If they couldn't see that then they simply wern't looking.
I'll do what I've always done and that's to just treat em' all as being blind.
If I hit a car it will be my own fault for not seeing THEM and I should have known better.

[madandy]

The only contact incident I've ever had with a car I was wearing a yellow rain coat.If they couldn't see that then they simply wern't looking.
I'll do what I've always done and that's to just treat em' all as being blind.
If I hit a car it will be my own fault for not seeing THEM and I should have known better.


Thats how I treat 'em too...you cannot rely on drivers to see you...hell some of 'em didn't see a train or truck for f*%k sake...My old man told me ,when he taught me to drive "...dont worry about what you're gonna do, mate. Watch the other cunts..." :msn-wink: He rode bikes and drove Trucks for 45 years.

[FROSTY]

My ride of choice has been the XJ900 or xj750p for many years.
They looked a lot like cop bikes with running lights and the white fairing.
I wore a white helmet for sure.
Funny innit how the tintop drivers noticed me and diddn't notice other bikes.
I mighta lost a bit of street cred with other bikers but I didn't have any of those little incidents that bikers have every day-The having to brake or swerve kinda stuff.
Seems to me car drivers only see things that could cause them harm

[Jackrat]

My ride of choice has been the XJ900 or xj750p for many years.
They looked a lot like cop bikes with running lights and the white fairing.
I wore a white helmet for sure.
Funny innit how the tintop drivers noticed me and diddn't notice other bikes.
I mighta lost a bit of street cred with other bikers but I didn't have any of those little incidents that bikers have every day-The having to brake or swerve kinda stuff.
Seems to me car drivers only see things that could cause them harm
Yeah ain't that the truth mate.
Years ago there was an urban legend about a bloke getting around with a white fairing that had TERIFFIC in big letters on the front.Seems he never had a problem either.If we all carryed guns the buggers would see us. :msn-wink:

[Hitcher]

I lie awake at nights dreaming about having a choice of colour when buying a helmet... *Sigh*

God bless you, Mr Shoei! (apologies to Kurt Vonnegut)

[vifferman]

The biggest problem is that it is a retrospective study where the riders chose their own preferred helmet colour. Therefore more "conservative" riders may have chosen white helmets as they were perceived to be "safer". So what the study is probably telling us is that people who wear white helmets ride more cautiously?

Bingo! The study is obviously just inane use of stats, as is the application of higher ACC fees to motorcyclists because we are more likely to be injured in an accident.

Regardless of whether a particular colour of helmet, jacket or whatever is safer, I'm not buying a white/yellow/lime green/fluro orange helmet or jacket.
I just assume people don't see me, and act accordingly. Although, I suspect my wife would probably fully approve of me buying a new helmet to replace my 3 years old Black/Gold/Silver AGV helmet on safety grounds.... Then I could get a red one to match my VTR. Hmmmmm. So, was there anything in the study about how insanely safe RED helmets are? ;)

[SPman]

Yeah ain't that the truth mate.
Years ago there was an urban legend about a bloke getting around with a white fairing that had TERIFFIC in big letters on the front.Seems he never had a problem either.If we all carryed guns the buggers would see us. :msn-wink: Urban legend be damned! It was a Triumph Saint with MOT style fairing and Triffic painted across the front. Caused me a double take the first time I saw it. :killingme
Shit, thats going back a bit......early 70's?

[Jackrat]

Urban legend be damned! It was a Triumph Saint with MOT style fairing and Triffic painted across the front. Caused me a double take the first time I saw it. :killingme
Shit, thats going back a bit......early 70's?
Yeah I didn't to say there WAS a guy doing it because it could of started an argument.You know how it is :msn-wink:

[750Y]

If tin-top steerer's (notice I did not use the word 'drivers') cannot manage to see a tail light or a head light, what the hell is the colour a helmet got to do with it???
good point many driver's barely look if at all...
but, when you're hauling along a road in the country and a cager/farmer/whatever is approaching from a side road where often vegetation obscures the lower portion of view, they will 'hopefully' see your helmet moving along towards them but may not see your lights etc cos they're a couple feet lower.(same way as how You see the top of a car approaching partially obscured from a side road. Now if Your helmet is say dark green or camo colours you aint gonna stick out like a white helmet. I like to admire nice looking helmets but when i choose i choose boring old white.

[Motoracer]

Wouldn't mind one of thoes highly visable Rossi helmets myself. The suit, boots and gloves would be a bonus too...

[Coldkiwi]

I like to admire nice looking helmets but when i choose i choose boring old white.

...which I'm afraid to say is why I'll never own one. They just look too damn boring and cheap. (even if it the latest $1500 offering from Arai). I'll stick with other bright colours and keep riding like a paranoid on P. (unless i'm lane splitting and then I loose my mind)

[Lou Girardin]

Strangely enough, drivers don't pull out in front of bike cops. They wear white helmets.
Coincidence?
Lou

[FROSTY]

Yeah ain't that the truth mate.
Years ago there was an urban legend about a bloke getting around with a white fairing that had TERIFFIC in big letters on the front.Seems he never had a problem either.If we all carryed guns the buggers would see us. :msn-wink:
Um er actually -it was an ex MOT XJ750 and the stickers were TRAFFICO
-from the clothes company traffico.
It stayed on there untill the guy concerned got too much shite from his freinds
I admit nothing and DO NOT have pictures of the offending bike parked in my garage

[Motu]

I remember the TIRIFFIC bike,and it was before the jap cop bikes,I'm with SPman on this one.At the same time a mate came over from OZ,bringing a Falcone with a big fairing like the MOT BSA Lightnings had - he was amaized at how polite us Kiwi drivers were....huh,you gotta be joking mate! as he came up behind cars they would just pull over and let him by.I rode the bike often,and yeah,they really did get out of the way in a hurry!

I've got a white helmet because that's the only colour they had at Cash Converters,otherwise I go for black.

[FROSTY]

I guess a good idea just keeps going round again and again :laugh:

[pete376403]

I remember the TIRIFFIC bike,and it was before the jap cop bikes,I'm with SPman on this one.At the same time a mate came over from OZ,bringing a Falcone with a big fairing like the MOT BSA Lightnings had - he was amaized at how polite us Kiwi drivers were....huh,you gotta be joking mate! as he came up behind cars they would just pull over and let him by.I rode the bike often,and yeah,they really did get out of the way in a hurry!

I've got a white helmet because that's the only colour they had at Cash Converters,otherwise I go for black.

My GS has a big barndoor fairing, which is vaguely cop-like, but in browny/purple. When the headlight is on the front indicators, big orange things set into the fairing, come on, also. I have a silvery-blue BMW system III lid. None of these colours are anything like what the HP use, yet many is the time I have seen a cager glance into the mirror, then suddenly move over. maybe its the shape, size and presence, rather than the colour.

And Motu, I'd buy many things from Cash Converters, but never a second hand helmet.

[scumdog]

As I said in another thread, I have two of those really bright and annoying mini-spotlights on my bike, one each side of the headlight.
They are no good at night as they just cause a big glare for 30yards or so so I leave them off then, in the daytime the are brilliant (couldn't help the pun!) and I noticed a big difference after I put them on, cars that would have pulled out on front of me now hit the brakes, i,e, at intersection and also if I am 3rd or so vehicle in a line of traffic I don't have the cage on front of my pull out (and then indicate) to overtake as I am alongside them - a few have started to pull out and then got the "bright-eyes" in the morrir and pulled back into line.
I don't rely on them totally but just have them to help that little bit - I still treat all other road users as some kind of blind f---wit until they rpove otherwise.
Like somebody else sais, it is pretty scary when in a national road test the average was 40%!!!!!!, hell I only dipped down to 85% when they started with the non-road rule stuff like "if you crashed at 70kmh it would be the same as falling off a three story building - true or false?" how are ya meant to know that shit? never mind if I T-bone a blind cager at 70kmh I at least would know what falling off a 5 story buiding would feel like :eek5: crashit

[James Deuce]

I have a friend who has a white helmet. She looks like a giant oddfellow wafting through the countryside, from a distance.

[SPman]

Um er actually -it was an ex MOT XJ750 and the stickers were TRAFFICO
-from the clothes company traffico.

Yeah, this one was later. I recall seeing this one around as well. - late 80's -early 90's?
Let the cage drivers think your're a cop and its amazing how attentive and considerate they suddenly become! - The FZR had the indicators on as side lights and it used to amaze me how many cars would let you through. White faring and orange lights - worked wonders!

[Motu]

And Motu, I'd buy many things from Cash Converters, but never a second hand helmet.

Me either - you gotta sift the stones for those pearls,great things come to those who wait.

[Morepower]

Yeah ain't that the truth mate.
Years ago there was an urban legend about a bloke getting around with a white fairing that had TERIFFIC in big letters on the front.Seems he never had a problem either.If we all carryed guns the buggers would see us. :msn-wink:

No legend , In the 70's in Hawkes Bay there was a 250 Suzuki twin with a large white fairing that had terriffic on it and another larger bike (GT750?) with something similar . I know the Guy and I have seen pictures , I guess its been done by a few people.

Dave