I dress for comfort
I have a seen a report ( I can't recall where) that gave satistical evidence that bright solid colour bikes (eg Yellow, red) are involved in fewer accidents..
BigFatBoomer
Guest
I don't wear a hi-viz but do have reflective stripes on my black jacket. Each to their own w.r.t. what you wear but I have seen just as many hi-viz wearing riders involved in accidents as non hi-viz wearers. I do the A13 from Basildon to Isle-of-Dogs every day so a bike wreck is something I see at least once per week. Had my own last Thursday morning and am mildly bruised although my GTR needs some new plastic. On the A13 about 50% of riders wear hi-viz and there are so many that nobody notices them any more. I know I don't sometimes and I'm riding a bike, in hyper-alert mode and looking for them.
My theory is that if they can't see me they can't aim at me!
Paranoid? Nah, yer only paranoid if they are NOT out to get you! <LOL>
My wreck involved stupid me making an assumption that an MPV driver knew what she was doing.
She didn't (outside of a roundabout with no indicators flashing) so I bounced off her Picasso and fell over.
My theory is that if they can't see me they can't aim at me!
Paranoid? Nah, yer only paranoid if they are NOT out to get you! <LOL>
My wreck involved stupid me making an assumption that an MPV driver knew what she was doing.
She didn't (outside of a roundabout with no indicators flashing) so I bounced off her Picasso and fell over.
Bigtwin
Guest
That's speciality British cock driving for you. I'll admit to regularly sitting in the inside lane of the A3 on my commute and passing dozens of cars at a time, sitting at 65 in the middle lane. And if you dare to flash time from behind to wake them up - you just get a load of abuse and finger, or worse and they then stamp on the braked just to screw you up.
I remember my early days of driving in France, and being horrified at having to do a long journey on a two lane motorway - my heart sank and I could see the hours stretching out ahead.
Of course, I now know that the French just cruise in the inside lane, nip out to overtake, and get straight back in again - hence a 2 lane French M-way carries about twice the traffic at twice the speed. Same in Italy.
Bigtwin
Guest
No doubt because jsut as many h-v jackets ride like twats as without, and if you ride like a twat, a h-v jacket isn't going to help you.
I see a bloke on an R1 on my commute often. He wears a sam browne, and a hi-viz cover on his ruck-sack. And filters down any lane like he's at Mallory always at full tilt on the throttle/brakes. WTF
You don't need an IQ test to get a bike licence or a h-v jacket - that's the problem.
rdover
Registered user
Hmm Coppers wear hi viz ........ BigTwin is feeling brave, no?
Bigtwin
Guest
Me? You're the one who's suggesting coppers wouldn't pass an IQ test...
Droopy Dick
Registered user
IQ isn't pass/fail. However, there's no doubt that some coppers may have exaggerated their GCSE results if you look at some of the stuff they write.
So perhaps the barrier has been set low?
Dahoum
Registered user
I dress to the left
DavidHale
Registered user
I dress as Denise at weekends.
GS Rider
Registered user
hi vis
Fom reading this thread there is a mixed view.
But as a hgv 1 driver, seeing a hi vis on a police officer or a 16 year old on his aprilla 50.or an old boy on his pride and joy. I see him, before he hears me.
I wear a hi-vis jacket when going to work at 3.45am as I dont think one light is good enough from my bike, even as a car driver. I put my main beam on just to see a head so as being a biker why not stand out and be seen when they approach me.
As a car driver as many of you are in the winter month's, what do you see first the young mum pushing the push chair or the head light of a biker from behind or from the side.
What ever you wear be seen be safe, as the sargent said in hill street blues "LETS BE CAREFUL OUT THERE"
Fom reading this thread there is a mixed view.
But as a hgv 1 driver, seeing a hi vis on a police officer or a 16 year old on his aprilla 50.or an old boy on his pride and joy. I see him, before he hears me.
I wear a hi-vis jacket when going to work at 3.45am as I dont think one light is good enough from my bike, even as a car driver. I put my main beam on just to see a head so as being a biker why not stand out and be seen when they approach me.
As a car driver as many of you are in the winter month's, what do you see first the young mum pushing the push chair or the head light of a biker from behind or from the side.
What ever you wear be seen be safe, as the sargent said in hill street blues "LETS BE CAREFUL OUT THERE"
Chunky
Guest
The combination of my kilt and my peely-wally whiter than white legs is a damn sight more effective that any of yer day-glo nonsense 
Mind you, the old cheeky chipolata can be a bit elusive after a winters ride
Mind you, the old cheeky chipolata can be a bit elusive after a winters ride
Bigtwin
Guest
A lot of the responses seem to be based on purely subjective personal experience.
Just to throw something a bit more substantial into the mix, here are some links to more scientific studies of motorcycle conspicuity. They are however,mainly for Daytime Running Lights (DRL) not just Hi-Viz ...
1. ACEM study on motorcycle's visibility: http://tinyurl.com/3ywhr4
2. The Transport Research Laboratory report on DRL: http://tinyurl.com/2q7hdj
3. FEMA detailed position on Daytime Running Lights can be found following this link:
http://tinyurl.com/2r2oa3
4. MAG Response to the European Commission Consultation can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/3cwdsc
5. MAGs Document “How Close Is To Close” can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/2vcwbc
Just to throw something a bit more substantial into the mix, here are some links to more scientific studies of motorcycle conspicuity. They are however,mainly for Daytime Running Lights (DRL) not just Hi-Viz ...
1. ACEM study on motorcycle's visibility: http://tinyurl.com/3ywhr4
2. The Transport Research Laboratory report on DRL: http://tinyurl.com/2q7hdj
3. FEMA detailed position on Daytime Running Lights can be found following this link:
http://tinyurl.com/2r2oa3
4. MAG Response to the European Commission Consultation can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/3cwdsc
5. MAGs Document “How Close Is To Close” can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/2vcwbc
Funny how nobody has mentioned having an 'off' on a bendy country road on a winters evening. Will the car driver spot the unconscious rider lying in the road earlier if he/she is wearing Hi-Viz, or will they fail to stop in time and run them over ??
For the ridings Gods on this forum, even the best riders can come off, thats why they are called 'accidents'. One case where Hi-Viz can help IMHO.
For the ridings Gods on this forum, even the best riders can come off, thats why they are called 'accidents'. One case where Hi-Viz can help IMHO.
Chunky
Guest
Do you also keep a life jacket under your seat in case you crash into a river?
If your thought process when going out for a ride involves having an 'off', lying unconscious in the road and being run over by a car, I think you should sell the bike and hide under your bed for the foreseeable future. Oh, and take a hard hat in case the bed collapses on you
Do you also keep a life jacket under your seat in case you crash into a river?
If your thought process when going out for a ride involves having an 'off', lying unconscious in the road and being run over by a car, I think you should sell the bike and hide under your bed for the foreseeable future. Oh, and take a hard hat in case the bed collapses on you
Or a parachute in case you go over a cliff? Rubber mororcycle gear in case you hit an electrified fence? Survival food in case you end up through the trees and can't crawl back to the road and raise the alarm?
Thirty years in the police and I never heard of the scenario of anyone being run over in the dark after coming off their 'bike!
www.adventure.gs
Twistgrip
Registered user
'twas back in '63,the longest,coldest,whitest winter since 1947.(we had real snow,back then). The ol'fella,wearing his white boiler suit, had to walk to work.Alas,he never made it to work that day.
He was hit by a snow plough!
He was hit by a snow plough!
Chunky
Guest
A cautionary tale indeed. I shall be wearing all black today just in case there is a freak snow storm
Oh dear!
I wuz riding my 350cc BSA B31 in the winter of '63... every day! Living at Doncaster, working at Rotherham and courting at Wakefield... an eternal triange indeed!
Stuffed newspapers down my front to keep warm, plastic 'look like leather' jacket, corduroy trousers, open face helmet
No reflective dayglo then... none since
www.adventure.gs
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