Hi-viz, does it make a difference in rider visibility?

[nerrrd]

Fucking hi-viz's...

Fucking bulls, I'd say...

[bigboy]

WOW... its hard to believe the results of this poll.

Without any doubt what so ever, Hiviz would make someone more visible.

I agree its not cool, nor do I like to wear it and usualy I don't. But to think it dosnt make you more
visable, well youd have to be colour blind.

[p.dath]

...
Without any doubt what so ever, Hiviz would make someone more visible.
...

That sounds like someone speaking who has never looked into the psychology of why riders are not seen. If you do nothing else, go to You Tube and watch the invisible gorilla experiment. Then maybe you'll gain an impression of how the brain observes things, and why the answer is not as black and white as you think.

[scumdog]

WOW... its hard to believe the results of this poll.

Without any doubt what so ever, Hiviz would make someone more visible.

.

Well, POTENTIALLY more visible...

[Jantar]

WOW... its hard to believe the results of this poll.

Without any doubt what so ever, Hiviz would make someone more visible.

I agree its not cool, nor do I like to wear it and usualy I don't. But to think it dosnt make you more
visable, well youd have to be colour blind.

A few months ago I went for a ride with STJim who was wearing Hi Vis, and for most of the ride I was behind him. His vest was a brilliant Hi Vis Green/yellow that blended in nicely with the rich green vegetation at the side of the road. What did make him stand out was his nice shiney red helmet. But a helmet is such a small dot compared to the size of bike and rider.

As for your last sentance, I suggest you read the whole thread, and folloow the links to the reports. It isn't the brightness, or the colour that gets peoples' attention, its a percieved threat, or an unknown shape, and for that purpose solid black is the best.

[Voltaire]

A few months ago I went for a ride with STJim who was wearing Hi Vis, and for most of the ride I was behind him. His vest was a brilliant Hi Vis Green/yellow that blended in nicely with the rich green vegetation at the side of the road. What did make him stand out was his nice shiney red helmet. But a helmet is such a small dot compared to the size of bike and rider.

As for your last sentance, I suggest you read the whole thread, and folloow the links to the reports. It isn't the brightness, or the colour that gets peoples' attention, its a percieved threat, or an unknown shape, and for that purpose solid black is the best.

Is that from our distant past of flight or fight?
I wear Hi Viz commuting but I get the distinct feeling that cars who barely slow down for side street Give Ways almost look thru me, which I am used to and ride accordingly.
On the motorway Hi Viz is not much good as its hard to see it when texting or on the phone.

[p.dath]

Well, POTENTIALLY more visible...

I can accept your statement - but being seen is the problem - which is not the same as being visible - which many people fail to grasp.

[Ender EnZed]

That sounds like someone speaking who has never looked into the psychology of why riders are not seen. If you do nothing else, go to You Tube and watch the invisible gorilla experiment. Then maybe you'll gain an impression of how the brain observes things, and why the answer is not as black and white as you think.

Though, to be fair, the gorilla wasn't wearing hi-viz.

[p.dath]

Though, to be fair, the gorilla wasn't wearing hi-viz.

Or was he ... that's the problem.

[Erelyes]

Anecdotally it seems are opinions are equally mixed as to whether Hi-vis helps visibility, does nothing, or actually hinders it.

Try watching the SMIDSY weave video to get an idea of a situation in which the hi-vis may do nothing for your visibility.

[bluninja]

Anecdotally it seems are opinions are equally mixed as to whether Hi-vis helps visibility, does nothing, or actually hinders it.

Try watching the SMIDSY weave video to get an idea of a situation in which the hi-vis may do nothing for your visibility.

Cheers big ears...now I can tell my wife it's ok to do a SIAM

This thread is about visibility, but I wonder where the cut off would be between weaving for visibility and stabilising the bike for braking, or manoeuvring if the car pulls out anyway.

[swbarnett]

Had a perfect example tonight of why hi-vis doesn't work. Looking in the spice draw for the cinnimon. Couldn't find it anywhere. I eventually found it right in front of me. The problem was it was in a different jar to what I'm used to i.e. I couldn't see what I wasn't expecting.

[Thaeos]

I'm sure its been said in this thread somewhere but I remember reading about studies that had been done that had actually shown black to be the colour that makes riders noticed more.

[nerrrd]

Had a perfect example tonight of why hi-vis doesn't work. Looking in the spice draw for the cinnimon. Couldn't find it anywhere. I eventually found it right in front of me. The problem was it was in a different jar to what I'm used to i.e. I couldn't see what I wasn't expecting.

Ah, but was it in a flouro jar?

But yeah, people's brains are (once again) the problem, or their inability to process the visual information right in front of their eyes. On a basic level, I reckon that movement or contrast are what I notice (maybe only because I'm psychologically inclined to do so). There's no one size fits all solution though.

[swbarnett]

Ah, but was it in a flouro jar?

Kind of - see below.

But yeah, people's brains are (once again) the problem, or their inability to process the visual information right in front of their eyes. On a basic level, I reckon that movement or contrast are what I notice (maybe only because I'm psychologically inclined to do so). There's no one size fits all solution though.

Interesting you should mention contrast. It was the one white lid in a sea of black.