Driver didn't see me...

[Big Dave]

Personally I believe in the majority of cases it's simply because they don't look.

Of course the accident reports say - 'I didn't see her/him' and the authorities respond with 'make yourself more visible'.

I agree and advise everyone to do the same.

However in the close calls I've had the driver hasn't even cast a glance my way. Fortunately I've been watching them.

'I just did not look properly' or ' yeah I was having an argument on my mobile phone' or 'I was texting' doesn't go down too well with Mr Plod and the insurance company though. 'I didn't see him' is far more plausible.

Making yourself visible is not as important as assuming nobody can see you and the mind set it's up to you to miss them. You could have flashing lights and sirens and some still 'wouldn't see you'.

I assume every driver will do something stupid and is blind. I figure that is how I have survived as long anyway.

[PirateJafa]

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

Apparently a single KBer with a stick up his arse is all it takes.

[MaxCannon]

Something I've always done is to make eye contact with anyone looking to pull out of an intersection across my path.

In the car and on the bike.

Has saved me a couple of times from an accident when people have not even looked before turning out.
Since I never saw them look my way I knew they'd do something stupid and was already on the brakes and looking for an escape route.

Single most important rule is think of everyone else on the road as if they are tying to kill you - because 1/2 of them probably are.

[NordieBoy]

Suffice to say, it is about as subtle as an approaching freight train.

Would YOU pull out in front of me? Noooo!

Ummm...
People pull out in front of freight trains too.

[sharknet]

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!

Yeah, but it don't work either. I normally tow with a LARGE 4X4, extra lights (think Vegas) bright paintwork, width markers etc,etc, and some tossers STILL miss me and pull out. (due to the bars on the front, usually only once...)
Never had a bike do it 'tho, maybe there is a correlation between the number of wheels and operator inteligence?

[CookMySock]

Ummm... People pull out in front of freight trains too.

That is statistically small in comparison to bikes and cars. People who pull out in front of trains will die. On the same theme, if people pull out in front of me and force me to hit them, they should make certain I cannot see their drivers door, because if I can they better slide over in their seat so my bike can fit in there too.

Yeah, but it don't work either. I normally tow with a LARGE 4X4, extra lights (think Vegas) bright paintwork, width markers etc,etc, and some tossers STILL miss me and pull out. (due to the bars on the front, usually only once...)

Try upping your speed a little,, and driving straight at them. They don't then hehehe because they want to stay ALIVE. What you get then is people calling you an asshole, but thats just sour grapes since they are bottom of the food chain - boo hoo hoo. One stern glare through the tinted visor (which always looks like a stern glare LOL) and they go "ewps, you go first!

I find the more I am careful on the road the less others are careful. The more I pussy around the more others take advantage. If I look completely out of control and drive around like a demented idiot people stay WELL THE FUCK BACK.

Steve

[mugins]

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!

Funny thing ,being Visible,i use to drive 44ton trucks for a crust head lights and fog lights on all the time,and people incuding us bikers would still pull out in front of you.Land Transport say only about 18% of bike accidents involve more than one vehicle.Is being VISIBLE really going to make that big a difference or does our riding need to change as well.

[90s]

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!

Sorry MYGSXF but there is no evidence to indicate this is so. It seems to make sense, but as other poster attest but not in practice seem to have the impact you would think.

Still I am glad that you have not been pranged - that's what I thought had happened when I read your header. Glad the GSXF is OK - you too.

[CookMySock]

The best way to be seen is polarise hell out of everyone. You are going to make a few enemies, but what would you rather?

Steve

[Tank]

From the Mentor thread ...

On a personal note, I'm disappointed to not be a mentor, but I don't have anything but basic experience, so I am happy enough with that. ish. I still get to mentor my kids, so maybe I'll have it out of my system by then.

Then on how to be seen ...

I find the more I am careful on the road the less others are careful. The more I pussy around the more others take advantage. If I look completely out of control and drive around like a demented idiot people stay WELL THE FUCK BACK.

I can see why the mentoring thing didnt work out.

Seriously - you cannot consider this good advise for people. Noob riders come on here and look for advise - it pays to offer sensible suggestions - riding like a demented idiot probably isn't one of them.

Simply put - I wear bright colours, ride in a position of the road to maximize my visibility to other road users and have my lights on (dipped) and ride in a defensive manner.

Very rare to have a problem.

[bogan]

Seriously - you cannot consider this good advise for people. Noob riders come on here and look for advise - it pays to offer sensible suggestions - riding like a demented idiot probably isn't one of them.

Simply put - I wear bright colours, ride in a position of the road to maximize my visibility to other road users and have my lights on (dipped) and ride in a defensive manner.

Very rare to have a problem.

i also ride to maximise visibility and ride in a defensive manner, but a breif weave before an intersection (done defensively of course) may help the cagers see me, by negating this looming effect, that is what i thort he meant anyway, not to actually ride like an idiot.

The best way to be seen is polarise hell out of everyone. You are going to make a few enemies, but what would you rather?

what is this polarise you speak of and how is it done?

[LBD]

Personally I believe in the majority of cases it's simply because they don't look.

I beleive Dave has it...or so my experience has been in 35 years on the road...

I have had two accidents and subsequently two near misses....and were almost all the same and by the drivers admission "I did not see you, because I did not look, because I was not expecting to see anyone else...."

Wish I was driving a truck on those occasions, but then the truck would have more presence and they would have noticed me...

The last occasion was classic, I had followed the slow vehical for some 200 m, head light on clear sunny day. I could see the drivers face in his side mirror, I indicated and flashed my head light, committed to overtake, then accelerated and at the worst possible moment he drove across in front of me into a small roadway to the right, and my first stoppie ensued....After the abuse settled I spoke with hime and the same story cme out....Did not see because did not look because he assumed there was no other traffic....

[CookMySock]

what is this polarise you speak of and how is it done?

Do anything different, irritating, noisy, bright, fast, slow, alarming, unusual, or just about anything different you can think of to wake everyone else up. Its the opposite being a conformist and staying in line. Don't put yourself at risk, just make it look like it.

Someone will complain. Cops will frown. Your wife will go quiet. Cagers will get irate at you, and grippers like Tank will scream the place down, but EVERYONE will notice you and then they will GTFO your way.

Steve

[BMWST?]

Do anything different, irritating, noisy, bright, fast, slow, alarming, unusual, or just about anything different you can think of to wake everyone else up. Its the opposite being a conformist and staying in line. Don't put yourself at risk, just make it look like it.

Someone will complain. Cops will frown. Your wife will go quiet. Cagers will get irate at you, and grippers like Tank will scream the place down, but EVERYONE will notice you and then they will GTFO your way.

Steve

nice theory but it wont work.....there will still be people who wont LOOK for you.You need to moderate your behaviur a little bit to allow for the day it happens.I Do beleive that you CAN be assertive,just dont take it to far....

[davebullet]

When commuting, you must always have an escape route planned throughout your journey.

Maybe its to the right next to the cheesecutter when that idiot behind is traveling too close and you need to slow down for the traffic queue...

Maybe its riding the bumper of the car just to your right when splitting and infront of that car to the right is a huge gap...

Making yourself as visible as possible is a good thing, but you have to take responsibility when that person hasn't seen you and you can best escape.