High visibility or highly overrated? Information flyer

[FJRider]

I believe visibility is directly related to the moon - depending on the moons relationship to the earth dictates how other road users view us.

I got my lucky Rabbits foot ... the rabbit wasn't as lucky though ...

[Maha]

That was an awesome thing you did for that person and may have saved there life if there were that hard to see.

Keep it in mind that it was during the darker hours which (for obvious reasons) they are more beneficial to wear. During the day, they are just another colour.
Some people dont even see an emergency vehicle with lights flashing until its alongside them.

[trailblazer]

Keep it in mind that it was during the darker hours which (for obvious reasons) they are more beneficial to wear. During the day, they are just another colour.
Some people dont even see an emergency vehicle with lights flashing until its alongside them.

totally agree with you there. Maybe walkers should be forced to wear a flashing led light around there hip if they wish to walk on the side of a country road during low light hours. Cyclists have to have a front light and a rear flashing light so i believe walkers and runners should to.

[buellbabe]

I've developed the habit of glaring at anyone that aproaches my space.

That made me laugh cos I do that too and I also yell at them "don't you even THINK about it a-hole!!!!!" Don't think they hear me but it makes me feel better LOL!

[joan of arc]

I was riding up to HB about a month ago when I saw an orange marshmallow on a bike approaching from the other direction. The high-viz orange puffer jacket was visible waaaaay before the head lights. Now, maybe I was atuned to other riders but I reckon that there was no way that rider was going to be missed by anyone else on the road. Fucking ugly though

[swbarnett]

I reckon that there was no way that rider was going to be missed by anyone else on the road.

Only those that are looking can see.

As of last week I've started wearing a black leather jacket (QStreet Black Rock - love it!). As far as I can tell there's been no change in the number of drivers seeing or not seeing me. But then, I take note of what a driver is doing far more than whether they've seen me or not. I never rely on being seen. I rely on my own observational skills instead, they are far more reliable.

[Hitcher]

Nice work. But in the same vein that has foisted high viz gear on construction workers and anybody doing official stuff near road and rail, nothing will stop a bureaucrat on a mission. Mandatory high viz kit for bikers is coming soon to a torso near you. This will have nothing to do with science or logic. Another win, unfortunately, for blind emotion. Sigh.

[Katman]

Mandatory high viz kit for bikers is coming soon to a torso near you. This will have nothing to do with science or logic. Another win, unfortunately, for blind emotion. Sigh.

And we will have no-one to blame but ourselves.

Double sigh.

[FJRider]

And we will have no-one to blame but ourselves.

Double sigh.

Just as ... ALL parents are to blame for the "Anti-Smacking" bill ... recently passed into law ...

[swbarnett]

Nice work. But in the same vein that has foisted high viz gear on construction workers and anybody doing official stuff near road and rail, nothing will stop a bureaucrat on a mission. Mandatory high viz kit for bikers is coming soon to a torso near you. This will have nothing to do with science or logic. Another win, unfortunately, for blind emotion. Sigh.

And the only way to fight it is for a large percentage of motorcyclists to refuse to wear them. I will be among the first to join this disobediant group.

[swbarnett]

And we will have no-one to blame but ourselves.

Double sigh.

Bollocks!

It is true that if the motorcycle crash rate was zero the safety zealots would leave us alone. However, this is so from rellevant it's in a parrellel universe.

We are not responsible for the fact that these safety zealots don't understand the laws of physics. The fact of the matter is that if we choose to live (and I mean live not survive) there will be casualties.

We are also not responsible for another's deluded mode of thinking when they wrongly believe that they have the right to save us from ourselves.

[Katman]

Really?

For as long as I can remember we've been crying "Wahhhh, they didn't see me" and everyone laps it up with "Yeah, fucking cagers - why don't they open their fucking eyes" instead of "Well, if you saw them, why didn't you avoid them?"

Sitting back and silently allowing a situation to turn to shit is as bad as those directly responsible for the shit in the first place.

[FJRider]

Really?

For as long as I can remember we've been crying "Wahhhh, they didn't see me" and everyone laps it up with "Yeah, fucking cagers - why don't they open their fucking eyes" instead of "Well, if you saw them, why didn't you avoid them?"

Sitting back and silently allowing a situation to turn to shit is as bad as those directly responsible for the shit in the first place.

"I never saw him" is usually the first response of the cage pilot ... after pulling out from Give-way and Stop signs (etc), in front of bikes ... when "interviewed" by Plod at the crash scene ...

[Katman]

"I never saw him" is usually the first response of the cage pilot ... after pulling out from Give-way and Stop signs (etc), in front of bikes ... when "interviewed" by Plod at the crash scene ...

And it's a response that has been loudly trumpeted by motorcyclists as a means to absolve themselves of any responsibility of using their own eyes and brain.

As I've said, it's now coming back to bite us in the arse.

[Genestho]

And it's a response that has been loudly trumpeted by motorcyclists as a means to absolve themselves of any responsibility of using their own eyes and brain.

As I've said, it's now coming back to bite us in the arse.

Of course there needs to be responsibility for us as a community to think for ourselves, but shite happens extremely quick sometimes, I know you disagree - but, not all situations can be foreseen or forwarned.

I'd like to see the "Think Bike" which educates car drivers to share the roads with Motorcyclists; campaign in NZ, we can lead our own educational and safety campaigns targeting all vehicles and owners.

If Motorcyclists in NZ want to see this done, I would suggest there's capability for current groups to apply for charitable status and further applying for funding and leading similar campaigns in the community.

We have the ability to do this, we have some of NZ's top racers advocating safety already, see "this safety vid" an example from MRA (Motorcycle Riders Assn) supported by Govt in Australia.

We have various people in the community that could put together a fantastic series of long life ad campaigns.