High-Visibility Vest for Motorcycling?
in [Motorcycles]
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From: Steve P on 4 Aug 2010 11:19 S'mee wrote: > On Aug 4, 7:09 am, "tomor...(a)erols.com" > <tomorrowaterolsdot...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> Quite frankly, I don't know of any studies that show whether high- >> visibility gear for motorcyclists works or doesn't. High visibility >> colors have been proven to increase visibility and reduce accidents >> for emergency response vehicles, though. Highways workers wear hi-viz >> yellow for a reason. >> > > Next time you have to stop for construction strike up a conversation > with the flagger about the effectiveness of those vests. > > The vest seems to act more as a bumper magnet than anything else Like a moth to a flame and a fish to a lure. IME, high-viz takes the guesswork out of how much distance a cage has to pull out in front of you. And that's not a positive in a traffic environment that by omission condones seemingly minor lane violations and aggressive driving behaviors. OTOH, I like the visibility factor from behind, in the rain. I wear high-viz yellow rain pants, and I don't care what it looks like to the fashion conscious. I made that decision after losing my tail light in the rain (didn't even know it until I got home...<insert pucker-factor here>). -- Steve '93 Lowrider Sport Convertible
From: tomorrow on 4 Aug 2010 12:54 On Aug 4, 10:15 am, "Datesfat Chicks" <datesfat.chi...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > "tomor...(a)erols.com" <tomorrowaterolsdot...(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message > > news:4a20a623-e747-40e0-a322-ce2ba66c2cd7(a)q35g2000yqn.googlegroups.com... > > > > >Quite frankly, I don't know of any studies that show whether high- > >visibility gear for motorcyclists works or doesn't. High visibility > >colors have been proven to increase visibility and reduce accidents > >for emergency response vehicles, though. Highways workers wear hi-viz > >yellow for a reason. > > I don't know how you'd conduct such a study. > > The problem is that those who use hi-visibility gear probably are > conservative in other ways as well. > > I'm gonna guess that your guy in the yellow gear and your guy in the black > gear have two different riding styles. I ride the same whether I'm wearing my dark blue helmet, my bright red helmet, by bright yellow helmet, or my black helmet. I ride the same whether I'm wearing my full Aerostich Roadcrafter with armor or my denim jean jacket and jeans. I do notice that other road users recognize and respond to my presence more frequently and measurably earlier when I am wearing brightly a colored helmet and/or a brightly colored jacket.
From: tomorrow on 4 Aug 2010 12:56 On Aug 4, 10:32 am, "S'mee" <stevenkei...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > On Aug 4, 7:09 am, "tomor...(a)erols.com" > > > > > > <tomorrowaterolsdot...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > On Aug 4, 7:53 am, "Beav" <beavis.origi...(a)ntlwoxorld.com> wrote: > > > > "Datesfat Chicks" <datesfat.chi...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > > > >news:VJGdndBhee7iHMXRnZ2dnUVZ_hqdnZ2d(a)giganews.com... > > > > > I was over at the Harley dealership the other day, and there was an OK > > > > leather vest. The look I am going for is the "I am on parole and I will > > > > kill you" look, and that vest was OK for that. > > > > > But on the other hand when I'm riding around I want to be visible. I've > > > > thought about wearing one of those yellow reflectorized safety vests over > > > > whatever else I'm wearing. Not fashionable, but will do the job. > > > > What job? Make you visible? Well dream on dude, the bike cops over here say > > > that even when they're wearing hi-viz clobber and riding hi-viz and highly > > > reflective bikes, pricks SIILL pull out on them because they didn't see 'em. > > > > Wear what you feel makes you look cool (if that's your thing), coz it's > > > better to be on a slab in cool gear than it is in hi-viz shite. > > > > > Is there any interesting product out there that is very visible but very > > > > cool? ... it has been a hot summer. Abrasion resistance to help in a > > > > slide would be a plus. > > > > Don't start talking silly again. Hi-viz and cool in the same sentence? > > > Quite frankly, I don't know of any studies that show whether high- > > visibility gear for motorcyclists works or doesn't. High visibility > > colors have been proven to increase visibility and reduce accidents > > for emergency response vehicles, though. Highways workers wear hi-viz > > yellow for a reason. > > Next time you have to stop for construction strike up a conversation > with the flagger about the effectiveness of those vests. > > The vest seems to act more as a bumper magnet than anything else There is no doubt that impaired, inebriated, exhausted, and sleepy drivers often fixate on bright objects, including taillights of vehicles parked on shoulders. That said, I know that I have often seen (and thus been able to respond to the presence of) highway workers wearing vests when I would not have seen them at all without the vests.
From: tomorrow on 4 Aug 2010 12:57 On Aug 4, 11:56 am, .p.jm.(a)see_my_sig_for_address.com wrote: > It seems the choice is between 'looking cool, on a slab in the > morgue' or 'looking like a dork to a bunch of strangers in traffic > that you never met and never will, while riding your motorcycle'. I haven't been killed any more often while wearing my black helmet than I have been when wearing my bright yellow helmet....
From: Vito on 4 Aug 2010 17:09
J. Clarke wrote: tomorrow(a)erols.com wrote: >>> Quite frankly, I don't know of any studies that show whether high- >>> visibility gear for motorcyclists works or doesn't. ....... >> There was one in New Zealand a while back that suggests something >> like a 33% reduction in accidents for high-conspicuity clothing. The only one I saw showed a marked reduction in accidents for a few months, until cagers figured out the dude in the clothes was just another kid on a Honda instead of a cop. Still, it can't hurt ..... |