Mandatory high visibility vests/clothing?

[RavenR44]

... and realised that it was just a mirage. Much like bikers are to drivers of cars and even riders of bigger bikes. It's an illusion, as Roger Whittaker once crooned.

I wish I could point to empirical evidence that backs up my belief, but I can't so it remains so - belief. And since I regularly raise my nose at those who choose belief over evidence, I appear to be quite the hypocrite.

Nonetheless, it's my fervent belief that the human brain paints in whatever our wandering thoughts need, in order to patch up the missing bits. And by missing, I mean the stuff we really should see when we 'look' but don't.

A relatively small anecdote (small, by my standards anyway) to illustrate what I'm getting at.

When I was training to fly, I was with my instructor who happened to be an ex-RNZAF squadron leader, a foxy fellow with a bag of cunning tricks as long as your tail-boom.

On one particular occasion, we were returning from a dual navex and getting quite close to the airfield's circuit at which point one does one's 'checks' which include such esoterica as instruments and controls and so forth.

I duly performed the checks while alternating glances about the sky for other aircraft approaching or in the circuit. On completion of the checks, I began my circuit entry at which point the instructor spoke a curt "I have control" whilst dismissively flicking my hands from the controls.

He took the aircraft back out of the circuit and asked me to run through the checks again, which I did for a moment before stopping mid sentence. The instrument panel had virtually all the gauges and dials zeroed. The instructor had pulled the electrical circuit breakers for the panel gauges prior to my performing my original checks.

The moral? We see what we want to see, or don't see what is there because our mindset at a particular moment prefers that. So visibility isn't so much about being conspicuous, in my opinion, but more to do with the observer's mindset at that moment.

If a cager's brain doesn't feel the need to see you, he/she won't.

Hi-vis can't do you any harm, but then neither will 500 watt strobes, sirens and a phalanx of Hell's Angels riding shotgun. But I'm probably not keen on their being compulsory either.

End of musing.

Andy.

[varminter]

Oh bugger, I'm thinking of getting a cruiser and I'm worried that I have a coloured helmet, now we have to wear high-vis too. Anyone told the biker gangs

[Mom]

You see the same thing in a commercial aircraft when the seatbelt light goes off and the monkeys undo everything. If you are just sitting there, keep the belt done up but loosened off a bit.

I had an aunt and uncle on a flight between San Francisco and Sydney years ago, where there were passengers with broken bones during a massive, unexpected bout of turbulence. Hostesses on the cabin roof at speed, kind of drop in the sky. Never take your seat belt off.

As for the fluro thing, not for this gal. I dont wear it, I have once, no twice now, and will be wearing it on every ACC protest I attend. Great graphics on them

Reflectors are the way to go. I saw the benefit of this last year on the big Westpac ride we did through Tauranga/Rotorua etc. It was dark, oh and wet ( but that was all day long) when we left the Helicopter base at Mechanics Bay. The other riders with us were up ahead and they stuck out like the perverbial due to their reflective stripes on the fluro vests. I thought then that was a good time to be wearing it. No compulsion though thank you very much. The colours clash with my eyes

[cagnitto]

in terms of compulsory hi res stuff, i vote no.

my last bike got written off as the lady who was driving didn't see a big brown guy on a bright red bike. add to that, it was a picture perfect day.
i dont think hi-res would have made a difference in this case.

that said, i do use a hi res vest, only when i ride at peak times. i've found that the number of times i need to hit the brakes because of a car making a stupid move has reduced heaps.

[Shadows]

Would you agree to compulsory high visibility vests/clothing?

Fuck. Off.

And I don't have to provide a reason.

[Stormer]

Hi vis vests???!!!!!!
Piss off...and don`t say anymore about it anywhere else otherwise some suit wearing retard is going to bloody well suggest it...and then that`ll be the NEXT new "law".

[munster]

There is no no real proof it would make any difference to lower bike accidents... especially if you throw in motion incuded blindness

http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/

That is freaky!

I wear hi-vis when I want to. Usually when I have one of the kids on the back. By myself I don't.

[pete376403]

you know there are thigns that note that cagers dont see us even when they look straight at us due to the fact they are not looking for somethign as small as a fat person on a motorbike there are looking for a fat person in a cage.

though on that note i have to admit when i have been whearing my fluro vest for advertising bikoi i have noticed cagers pay more attention to me at intercection and round abouts.

That cos they think you're a cop

[marigami]

I would not recommand the fluo vest mandatory for all but here is my experience in France.
6 months ago government made fluo vest mandatory for all car drivers to wear it when they have to go on the road after an accident or when changing tyres....
So all car drivres have to have this fluo inside their car and easily reachable in case of control.
Bikers do not have to.
But I should say that as years passed I bought a fluo vest and stardted to wear it (along with my friends) during the night or in misty days (or night) especially on high speed roads (with no light at all) or small roads.
It is not useful in town though.
Sometimes I had my vest on sometimes not and I can't say it was safer to have it or not but I felt safer (well in a way) especially as none of my bikes has special lights for misty weather (as cars do).
Sorry for my lack of english vocabulary BTW.
But it is also very true that car drivers are mostly not really aware to focus on the road and to be very careful of what's happening in front, rear, sides.
Most of them (I mean at least in france) does not really use their inside mirror or just a sight checking with their own eyes (are bikers should do anyway).
Very often I nearly had accidents because the car drivers did not see me : of course I have dark helmet ( I'm not ever wearing a pink or "girly" helmet yerk) and mostly black gear (with reflectives bands everywhere) and I'm very petite but that's not the point.
During day time we should all be seen not point for the car driver (as most said to me afterwards) : "sorry I have not seen you"!
Hey what about magnifying glasses or lenses you stupid.
It just because you only look straight forward and forgot the rest.
Pffff
So i Do not think having to wear a fluo vest as mandatory would lower the rate of accidents.
It all have cause on common sense and during the training for driving licence.
Sorry guys for this long post and my language.

[cs363]

Proof positive that fluoro vests, looking like a cop or whatever will not help when dealing with retards:

[mowgli]

Proof positive that fluoro vests, looking like a cop or whatever will not help when dealing with retards:

That's gotta be the quickest ambo response in history............ p/t

[ready4whatever]

I didnt believe it but i saw a tribesman gangster wearing a hi viz vest over his patch the other day, probably the smartest one I've seen. Pity his helmet consists of a thin metal layer, no padding

[Mystic13]

Yep but once we're all wearing flouro vests will it be followed with flouro pants and boots. Heck why not just make it compulsory to fit a large flashing light on top of the helmet.

Or you could run education campaigns on TV and take a tougher stance with motorists that are at fault 40% of the time.

The fluoro vests are a bit naff. If i have to wear fluoro then i want cars to have a flouro stripe painted down the middle in both directions so they look like they're tied with a fluoro ribbon and gift wrapped.

I have LED's on my bike that light the thing up at night although I understand those have just been made illegal. So that would be something supr Hi Viz is banned.