Driver Awareness

[The Stranger:Me]

Sunhuntin's thread has me worried.

It seems every day lately I am hearing stories like this, or worse.

I have a friend in hospital in real bad shape.

About a week ago I had 2 close calls on the way to work in the one trip. A few days ago I had the closest one I have had yet, when overtaking a cage in the left lane.

I am slowly getting the feeling that it is just when and how bad will it be - not if it is going to happen to me.

It is not that they don't see us.
One of the above was looking right at me as she pulled out, maybe I looked like her husband or something. Another one just did not look at all.

So the question is this. How do we connect (no pun) with cage drivers?
How do we raise their awareness of bikes?

I think it was Sarge whom suggested meeting up at Pack n Save and riding in to the city as a group one time, maybe that on a semi regular basis would put us in thier conscious minds.
Maybe we stand at intersections at busy times and give out flyers with graphic photos of the result of their stupidity.

I dunno, just bloody sick of the pricks, so any one got any good ideas?

[Lou Girardin]

I find full beam and considered aggression works quite well. But I won't recommend it for others.
I don't want anyone's damage on my conscience.

[James Deuce]

They don't actually see you, you know. Not in the way that you think they should.

There are two main factors at work.

1. Human's are only truly scared of things bigger than them or the thing they are in or riding. We're programmed to ignore stuff smaller than us as it doesn't pose an immediate significant threat to our health.

2. Human's determine relative motion by tracking an object relative to it's position on the background. Because of its size relative to the scenery a motorcycle doesn't look like it is moving until it is quite near, and then it appears to be moving MUCH faster than the surrounding traffic. When a motorcycle is in traffic this size vs relative motion effect is drastically magnified.

These things can't be overcome without training (which isn't going to happen: competent drivers/riders are too confident and have more accidents - according to the chief Traffic Superintendant.) or direct experience of having vehicles pull out on you. I get pulled out on in my FIAT because it is narrow and tall.

YOu just need to ride with the thought in the back of your mind that every intersection is a potential trap, and either practice avoidance techniques, or actively visualise the proccesses needed to avoid cars and trucks exiting an intersection.

Tedious I know, but sometimes we have to own the solution

[Postie]

I dunno, just bloody sick of the pricks, so any one got any good ideas?

armoured bikes like mad max.........

[sunhuntin]

i dont know what else can be done other than us riding as though every cager is out to hit us and is in fact aiming at us deliberatly. other than the scare tactics [maybe attacking wing mirrors and such?] and constant reminding that motorbikes do exist, theres not much else can be done.

honestly, id be happy to loan my bike for staged accident scenes at busy corners at peak periods of cagers on the road...ie, 9am and 3, 4 and 5pms. of course, that likely wont happen.

other than that, all we can do is keep riding defensively and as safely as possible while doing all we can to maximise our own safety.

[Blackbird]

[QUOTE=CaN]It is not that they don't see us.
One of the above was looking right at me as she pulled out, maybe I looked like her husband or something. Another one just did not look at all. So the question is this. How do we connect (no pun) with cage drivers?
How do we raise their awareness of bikes?QUOTE]

Hi CaN - seriously mate, the first thing to do is stick a pair of 100W Arctic White Xenon bulbs into your 'bird. I used to have 100 W halogens in but the difference with car drivers seeing me with the new ones is amazing. It's especially noticeable how car drivers pull to the left when you come up behind them.

As for the rest, a tactical nuclear missile might be in order.

Geoff

[Ixion]

i dont know what else can be done other than us riding as though every cager is out to hit us and is in fact aiming at us deliberatly..

They are .

[BLACKYOSHI1000]

I FIND HIGH BEAM SEEM`S TO HELP
BUT NOT SO LONG AGO THERE WAS A CRAZE OF DAY LIGHT`S ON BIKES WERE YOUR INDICATOR`S ALSO LIT UP THEN SEEMED TO ALSO WORK WELL BUT I THINK THE IDEA FIZZELED OUT
BEST DEFENSE DRIVE KNOWIN THEY DONT SEE YOU

[Korea]

Air horns, anyone? Quite a few riders over here use them to get drivers attention.
Car drivers have been making thoughtless mistakes at the expense of riders for years and that is probably never going to change.
It's up to us to do the thinking for them - expect every car to be a potential accident-waiting-to-happen. At least in town anyway...

If you do get cut-off, merged into, or pulled out on - having a rant and kicking-in their door is just going to get them all pissed at you and they'll justify their actions to themselves... and it breeds more animosity directed at us riders.
Anyone rememeber that survey where the majority of the population considered themselves to be an 'above-average' driver? Everyone thinks they're Christmas and are loath to admit a screw-up.

I generally get a better response when I pass a car that has done a naughty on me and make motions like I'm really shocked/scared (hand on chest breathing dramatically). I usually get an apologetic wave back from the car driver.
*irony on*If not, kick the bugger's window in! *irony off*

[SixPackBack]

mace the mother fuckers

[sunhuntin]

just found this on TM...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/m...readid=6412742

[Smorg]

BUT NOT SO LONG AGO THERE WAS A CRAZE OF DAY LIGHT`S ON BIKES WERE YOUR INDICATOR`S ALSO LIT UP THEN SEEMED TO ALSO WORK WELL BUT I THINK THE IDEA FIZZELED OUT

my bikes got those puppies i think they work pretty well, but i always ride like everyones gonna pull out in front of me anyway

[SlowHand]

dam double posting..

[SlowHand]

Its not just bikes they seem to miss though. My first/last crash was 30mins before sunset, car lights on, straight road -outside Matua winery. I see the car sitting at the driveway, she lurches forward and stops. I slow down a tad and go around her, well I thought I was, she launches into me and writes my new car off. Oh and she didnt see me and I was speeding - 80kmh in 100kmh zone speeding?

Yesterday I had one driver pull out of a road, drive for 200m stop at an intersection and pull out a map - she freaks out and takes off
Another one pulls out onto the road slowly and freaks when I beep. - this one was lucky I'd been riding a bike even for a little while.
I was driving in a white Ford Falcon station wagon - its a fucken landcrab for crying out loud!!!

I was thinking of carrying bats and smashing windows in everytime its a near miss- I mean anything that you gota pull the seat out of your ass from a 5cent 50cent moment. Maybe bats too hardcore, but if its real bad, Im kicking them.


GIVE ME A TANK!!!!

[crashe]

Not seeing a biker - This evening heading out to Mission Bay, there were a bunch of cyclists in all their lycra gear.
One turned around and pulled over to the outside lane. No problems.
Then another one turned around and saw me. As I got closer to him, he pulled out right in front of me.. I had to hit the brakes real fast... and yes he got abused by me. They all pulled up to the lights near me and Pyrocam and the cyclist never bothered to look at us to acknowledge what he had done, the pratt.

Air horns - Yep I have one attached to my handle bars...
Continueing along towards Mission Bay after the cyclist incident...
Coming over the bridge.. there was a dude in his vehicle and he got slower and slower..... he was chatting on his cell phone and trying to figure out what the other cars in the right hand lane were doing (turning right into the side street) he got so slow (like about 25kms per hr) that I tooted my bike horn.... didnt make much difference.. so I pulled up beside him and hit the airhorn right into his lughole (ear) He got the message and moved over to the left to let pyrocam and other cars get through.