Driver didn't see me...

[MyGSXF:Me]

We've all experienced it.. driver pulls out in front of us.. then pleads ignorance.. "I didn't see you"

Two things are going on here..

"Motion Camouflage" & "The Looming Effect"

Motion Camouflage: When a bike can effectively become invisible to the driver waiting to pull out. The drivers eyes are fooled into believing a moving object is stationary! When a rider travels down a line that extends from a fixed point behind the bike directly to the eye of a driver waiting at the junction ahead. The rider's size does not appear to increase as they travel down this line & so they blend in to the background! As a result, the driver is not alerted to the presence of the bike because his brain is scanning for movement. Finally as the bike nears the car, an effect called "looming" occurs - which is where the bike suddenly grows in size, destroying the motion camouflage and becoming visible to the driver. But a natural response to looming means the drivers are momentarily frozen the the spot

Looming Effect: is the perceived rapid increase in the size of an object as it gets closer to an observer. It is our primary method for assessing whether something will collide with us or not. Looming works on the part of the brain's visual cortex that uses 'edge detection' to alert it to the presence of movement. If the edges of an object - such as a bike moving down a street - cannot be detected, then no alert is triggered.

Looming is a key factor in the 'flight or fight' response mechanism of animals. The decision to flight or flee is preceded by a momentary 'freeze' phase, while the brain flips a coin and prepares the body for whichever action it will take.

It is looming that suddenly reveals the bike to a motorists stunned eyes, as it grows in size and triggers the alarms in the visual cortex.

The looming effect is probably what freezes them to the spot with a rabbit-in-the-headlights look of horror once they spot the bike!

Comes from notes given at an advanced rider training course!

[PirateJafa]

Motion Camouflage: When a bike can effectively become invisible to the driver waiting to pull out. The drivers eyes are fooled into believing a moving object is stationary! When a rider travels down a line that extends from a fixed point behind the bike directly to the eye of a driver waiting at the junction ahead. The rider's size does not appear to increase as they travel down this line & so they blend in to the background! As a result, the driver is not alerted to the presence of the bike because his brain is scanning for movement.

But when we try to prevent this, we get 151 posts on KB calling us retards on the Southern motorway!

[discotex]

But when we try to prevent this, we get 151 posts on KB calling us retards on the Southern motorway!

That's a rather tenuous link.

But yes when you see a car waiting to turn across your path you can break the aforementioned effect by weaving across your lane. Works a treat.

[MyGSXF:Me]

when you see a car waiting to turn across your path you can break the aforementioned effect by weaving across your lane. Works a treat.

Yep.. along with

We need to make ourselves as VISIBLE as possible!! Wear a brightly coloured helmet, put some reflective stickers on it for extra night time visibility. Ride with headlight on. Wear coloured gear.. & better yet, a brightly coloured vest! All these things add together to break that motion camouflage effect! They will draw the drivers eyes to us like a magnet!!

Biking is about riding.. enjoying the ride.. & staying ALIVE!! Anything we can do to promote that.. is all good!

[Maha]

At times, speed has a part to play in the senario....
Yes they see the bike, but dont judge the speed right...
When you are in controll of any vehicle, the subconscious mind is active.
You do things without knowing that you are, distance perception is altered due to surroundings etc. You may glance at a moving object and 'think' that what you are seeing is moving at a speed you percive to be the 'correct' speed, where at times, on the road, this object (in this case a motorbike) can be moving alot quicker than the posted speed limit. If you were to look at the moving object for more than 1.5 seconds, chances are, you would probably judge the speed more accurately.

[PrincessBandit]

Yep.. along with

We need to make ourselves as VISIBLE as possible!! Wear a brightly coloured helmet, put some reflective stickers on it for extra night time visibility. Ride with headlight on. Wear coloured gear.. & better yet, a brightly coloured vest! All these things add together to break that motion camouflage effect! They will draw the drivers eyes to us like a magnet!!

Psychedelic is the new black!!!!!

[Indiana_Jones]

The last guy to drive into me 'didn't see me'.

Considering I was stopped at a giveway with a hi-vi on....

You're pretty much fucked on a bike lol

-Indy

[Marmoot]

Ha....motion camouflage. yep.

Good luck to those filtering on the motorways in the dusk these days with their lights on. Just remember there are a few hundred other lights on behind you in the drivers' side mirrors.

Your bike headlights are just be a pinch of salt in the vast ocean.

[bogan]

thats some pretty intresting info, i always thort it was drivers not bothering to look for smaller objects than cars. I assume the size of cars somewhat negates this motion camflauge effect. Though with some motorists i expect nothing short of flashing lights will alert them to your prescense, i ended up tboning an old lady in a laser cos she didnt see me, despite the light on low beam, red jacket, and black and white bike.

[P38]

Another good countermeasure for the above mentioned effects that I use is a polite toot on my horn followed by a simple wave like this

Dont know what it is but when you employ this type of countermeasure they instantly see you and take measures to allow you to pass.

Most of the time this involves them waving back too.

[CookMySock]

I use a very subtle combination of weaving about like a demented idiot, intimidating as fuck dressed in black, nasty magnesium-bright headlight, grrrowl crackle pop bang boom loud vtwin exhaust note. Yup, I think thats about it. OH, and I drive straight at people like I am going to RAM them. Suffice to say, it is about as subtle as an approaching freight train.

Would YOU pull out in front of me? Noooo!

Steve

[Jantar]

The looming effect is also why the motorist will almost always claim the motorcyclist was speeding.

[Chrislost]

We've all experienced it.. driver pulls out in front of us.. then pleads ignorance.. "I didn't see you"

Two things are going on here..

"Motion Camouflage" & "The Looming Effect"

Motion Camouflage: When a bike can effectively become invisible to the driver waiting to pull out. The drivers eyes are fooled into believing a moving object is stationary! When a rider travels down a line that extends from a fixed point behind the bike directly to the eye of a driver waiting at the junction ahead. The rider's size does not appear to increase as they travel down this line & so they blend in to the background! As a result, the driver is not alerted to the presence of the bike because his brain is scanning for movement. Finally as the bike nears the car, an effect called "looming" occurs - which is where the bike suddenly grows in size, destroying the motion camouflage and becoming visible to the driver. But a natural response to looming means the drivers are momentarily frozen the the spot

Looming Effect: is the perceived rapid increase in the size of an object as it gets closer to an observer. It is our primary method for assessing whether something will collide with us or not. Looming works on the part of the brain's visual cortex that uses 'edge detection' to alert it to the presence of movement. If the edges of an object - such as a bike moving down a street - cannot be detected, then no alert is triggered.

Looming is a key factor in the 'flight or fight' response mechanism of animals. The decision to flight or flee is preceded by a momentary 'freeze' phase, while the brain flips a coin and prepares the body for whichever action it will take.

It is looming that suddenly reveals the bike to a motorists stunned eyes, as it grows in size and triggers the alarms in the visual cortex.

The looming effect is probably what freezes them to the spot with a rabbit-in-the-headlights look of horror once they spot the bike!

Comes from notes given at an advanced rider training course!

sounds liek a scientist crashed into a biker (not in NZ) and while in jail for killing him thought up some bullshit to explain his actions.

[Mully]

Good luck to those filtering on the motorways in the dusk these days with their lights on.
Your bike headlights are just be a pinch of salt in the vast ocean.

That's the main reason I filter with an indicator on. I figure a flashing light may attract notice better.

And I filter like a little pig-tailed girl.

i always thort it was drivers not bothering to look for smaller objects than cars.

This was/is my theory. Subconsiously, you see a smaller vehicle but your mind doesn't register it as a threat. A bike hitting you probably wont hurt you, a car or truck hitting you will fuck you like you owe it money.
Probably why you don't see many SMIDSYs with cars pulling in front of trucks.

[scumdog]

But when we try to prevent this, we get 151 posts on KB calling us retards on the Southern motorway!

So how many intersections are there on the Southern Motorway that you need to make yourself 'visible' to?