Fluoro Vests

[El Dopa]

I had a bike once that I bought from a Riding Instructor,white fairing with flouro stripes down the side same as the Police,you wouldn`t believe how considerate everyone else on the road suddenly became.

I always think its a biker cop coming from a distance.

Another good reason to wear them. I saw a guy once that had a flouro yellow rain slicker, just like the HP patrol ones, with the silver stripes and the blue/silver text patch on the back. Except his text read 'PEACE'.

I think fluros and white helmets may help to a degree, but you can't assume that by having these things gives you what you hope they will achieve.

I ride like every bastard can't see me.

You often have to be so aware of your surroundings, if you let your guard down is the moment you become vunerable.

True, Anyone see the episode of 'Motorway cops' where the car drove into the back of the Maintenance Wagon, which had a 10 foot high orange flashing light display on the back of it?

I ride like every bastard can't see me, but I wear the fluoro vest because I want to cut down the number that haven't seen me and thus the number of times that I might have to take evasive action if push comes to shove. I'd prefer that 99 out of 100 road zombies know where I am, rather than, say, 90 out of 100.

[Hitcher]

Get yourself one of the brightest helmet's you can find

Harrumph!!!

[Coyote]

I published a link in a post about a year ago to a UK Government task force that researched motorcycle safety and came to the conclusion that fluoro vests were a bad idea because 90% of road users surveyed expected people to be stationary or moving at a walking pace when wearing one. This caused them to misjudge the approach speed to the motorcycle quite badly.

OK, gonna dump the vest now

[avgas]

Im tempted to wear a fluro vest.
Just resprayed my bike to a bright metallic blue from a black for increased visiblity.
I just about got hit on a site though and i was wearing a vest standing on the side of the road......so im still abit 50/50 about them.
While the average driver will see them, some still wont

[El Dopa]

I published a link in a post about a year ago to a UK Government task force that researched motorcycle safety and came to the conclusion that fluoro vests were a bad idea because 90% of road users surveyed expected people to be stationary or moving at a walking pace when wearing one. This caused them to misjudge the approach speed to the motorcycle quite badly.

Interesting. However, I'd have to have a good read of the report before changing my mind. I'd prefer someone behind me (about the only area a flouro vest is actually going to have any effect) to think I'm stationary and slow down, rather than not wear one and have someone smack me off my bike from behind.

[Coyote]

Im tempted to wear a fluro vest.
Just resprayed my bike to a bright metallic blue from a black for increased visiblity.

Bit off topic, how much did the respray cost or was it a D.I.Y job?

[Zapf]

that's good news to me, I have a silver bike & a white helmet! i guess i look like a dork tho, oh well, whats new... lol.

opps... sorry.

[slob]

You wouldn't catch me alive or otherwise in those vests.. yuck! I believe that my safety is my responsibility and I just assume that other traffic can't see me (I suffer from lack of faith in others' abilities esp. cagers). If I really need to be noticed (e.g. at an intersection) I flash my lights and blip my throttle and stuff...

[Holy Roller]

I wear one 90 % of the time as its a requirement for work. Its easier to have on one over the leathers to walk around the site. The other times are usually when I'm out for a ride then I usually have a denium vest or oilskin vest over the jacket. Yep I have a white helmet as well just for the record.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

How many of you guys wear Fluoro Vests while riding?

No thanks. It is hard enough to blend in to the crowd when you bunch up after Mr plod has done a U turn. You really do not want to have a flag on saying "IT WAS ME."

[MSTRS:Me]

Come on Steve now. Play fair for the nice

[Jackrat]

You wouldn't catch me alive or otherwise in those vests.. yuck! I believe that my safety is my responsibility and I just assume that other traffic can't see me (I suffer from lack of faith in others' abilities esp. cagers). If I really need to be noticed (e.g. at an intersection) I flash my lights and blip my throttle and stuff...

This is sort of my own approach to hi vis vests as well.
I don't think the person that sees you but then choses to ignore you because your just on a bike and present little threat to them will act any differently just because your wearing a vest.Remember that thing we all get now an then,the arsehole that passes other cars coming toward us on the open road.That scumbag has seen us but made the desision that we will get out of his way because he's bigger than us.He's not going to change his behaviour just because he can see us better.The liars that claim they didn't see the biker they just spread all over the road will still claim not to have seen us,vest or not.
I think that if somebody wants to wear a Hivis vest,more power to them.Same goes for head lights,but I don't belive it makes a difference.
A simple law change could prove this point.In japan,"I didn't see him" is an instant addmission of careless driving and carrys a VERY high price.
Guess what,It doesn't happen there like it does here.
Head lights and vests also give car drivers an out if they wipeout a biker not useing either.
I bet anything it's been said already"but officer I didn't see him "he didn't have his head light/vest on.
The next question the cop would ask should be obvious.
Trucks pullout on 4x4s,4x4s pullout on cars,cars pullout on bikes.
It's got NOTHING to do with visability.

[Cajun]

Well when riding around town i wear my port of tauranga jacket which is fluro yellow, when not i am wearing yellow/black leathers, so i not to hard to miss on the yellow bike dc:<

[Firefight]

Well when riding around town i wear my port of tauranga jacket which is fluro yellow, when not i am wearing yellow/black leathers, so i not to hard to miss on the yellow bike dc:<

were you in Rotovagas the other day Neal ?

F/F

[Yokai]

I wear a hi-vis vest that a mate gave me when I am doing:

a) a really long trip with night-time riding
b) a ride in the rain

Cos both of those mean that people see me more. With good vis and dry roads, if they're gonna hit you they're gonna hit you (my 2nd cousin got wiped out in the UK wearing hi-vis... Drunk driver - arsehole.)