Hi-viz, does it make a difference in rider visibility?

[Subike]

The definition of hi-viz aside, you certainly can't say hi-viz gear decreases your visibility can you?

Yup, in the right conditions colours will blend in with the background and you will be invisabile.
Black, the absence of colour, in the same place will stand out and be seen.
The other side of this debate often forgotten, is the psychological part of hi-vis verse black.
Hi-Vis is common, used by so many workers, construction, roading, etc, that it is a non threatening picture to the subconscious mind.
Black on the other hand is seen in the subconscious as a threat to personal safety. Your fight or flee instinct is put on guard.

When you see a pack of colorful sports bikes riding the main road, what do you think?
When you see a pack of Black leather clad bikies riding the main road, what do you think?

Which pack would you stop beside for a chat?

You initial thought to that, should tell you how effective Hi-vis is, in a lot of situations.

My opinion , open to dispute and correction, but still my opinion.
Hi Vis is NOT as safe to ride in as the propaganda would like you to think.

[FJRider]

No, Hi Vis does not decrease your visibility, As the Maids report shows it increases visibility by around 2.7%. What it does do is changes a larger single coloured shape to a less defined multi coloured shape that the mind is slower to recognise as a threat.

People will be more likely to ignore (place less importance on) things that are not a threat. What they SEE as a threat gets the reaction that is desired. No threat, NO (less) reaction.

[Tarded]

Obviously the gay biker brigade (black clad bumless pants , ape hangers and a wanker cartoon on their black jacket/vest) look 'scary' ONCE you have SEEN them which in any situation except the dreamt up ones here is later than the guy in hi vis.

This supports my loud pipes argument too, never seen a team fuckwit chopper rider with quiet pipes now have you?? It is one thing I agree with them on.

And I wouldnt talk to them cause grunts and short words gets dull very quickly.

Any other sort of rider is usually worth a chat regardless of what they ride. Talking to people who only ride the brand you do is boring.

[oneofsix]

This supports my loud pipes argument too, never seen a team fuckwit chopper rider with quiet pipes now have you?? It is one thing I agree with them on.

Haven't worked that one out. You can't hear them unless they are in front of you so are you saying they are afraid of being hit from behind because they are going so slow? In my experience they are usually trying to out run their own noise so that can't be right.

Any other sort of rider is usually worth a chat regardless of what they ride. Talking to people who only ride the brand you do is boring.

Agreed as at least you have a common subject to start with.

[swbarnett]

Haven't worked that one out. You can't hear them unless they are in front of you

I've been told that my pipe can be heard from about half a mile away in any direction.

[oneofsix]

I've been told that my pipe can be heard from about half a mile away in any direction.

By someone standing still? If you are moving in the same direction I never hear them coming, at best passing, but usually not until they are at least through the blind spot. One caught me out so bad I nearly pull into it when I reacted.

[swbarnett]

By someone standing still?

By my wife at home as I came down the hill. Probably more to one side than in front.

If you are moving in the same direction I never hear them coming, at best passing, but usually not until they are at least through the blind spot. One caught me out so bad I nearly pull into it when I reacted.

Interesting. Could explain why some drivers try to drive in the ditch as I pass. More often though drivers move over to give room when I'm several car-lengths behind. Maybe that's the dual headlights and hazards rather than the pipe.

[oneofsix]

By my wife at home as I came down the hill. Probably more to one side than in front..

I need loud pipes, daughters can hear me arriving but wife claims she doesn't. Think the Mrs used to rely on the dog to let her know but he's passed on now. Actually sometimes its helpful when she doesn't know when I got home

[SuperMac]

The definition of hi-viz aside, you certainly can't say hi-viz gear decreases your visibility can you?

Really?

Can I post it instead?

Never mind the differences between 'hi-viz', 'fluorescent' and 'retro-reflective', perhaps thee's a need to clarify the differences between 'visibility' and 'conspicuity'.

Simply, something can be:
- Visible but not conspicuous: a white cat in a snowstorm
- Conspicuous but not visible: someone wearing a hi-viz coat but stood inside the wardrobe with the doors shut
With combinations in between

[swbarnett]

I had a situation yesterday morning where i was rounding a tight, blind, right-hander in the dark with my high beam on. There was a runner on the right side of the road wearing a reflective vest (initially hidden from view). The instant my light hit them my vision was competely gone. The reflection was so bright that they were all I could see.

[Tarded]

I hear loud bikes coming up behind me. Maybe some dont I spose.
Different bike make different sounds obviously. Twins stand out to me but Im biased that way.

I already have a car with 4 cyl, ones enough .

[ac3_snow]

I need loud pipes, daughters can hear me arriving but wife claims she doesn't. Think the Mrs used to rely on the dog to let her know but he's passed on now. Actually sometimes its helpful when she doesn't know when I got home

My Misses has it down to a 45 second window, between when she hears me coming and can stop what shes doing and start doing something that looks productive. Think I might put the factory muffler back on just so I can sneak home, the noise is starting to fuck me off anyway.

[caspernz]

My Misses has it down to a 45 second window, between when she hears me coming and can stop what shes doing and start doing something that looks productive. Think I might put the factory muffler back on just so I can sneak home, the noise is starting to fuck me off anyway.

Meh, just text her half an hour out like I do with mine...less of a rush to send the boyfriend home that way

[Zookey]

I had a situation yesterday morning where i was rounding a tight, blind, right-hander in the dark with my high beam on. There was a runner on the right side of the road wearing a reflective vest (initially hidden from view). The instant my light hit them my vision was competely gone. The reflection was so bright that they were all I could see.

Yours so right ,damned scary,the fact is they should all run walk whatever facing the traffic they can then leap into the ditch

[russd7]

at the end of the day if they don't look or just glance then ya might as well be riding naked because they aint gonna see you, have had more probs and close calls since the law changed and i have to have my headlight on than before when i rode with it off, putting it simply the idiots need to look not glance