Motorcycle community asks, “Can you see me now?”
AMES, Iowa – April 27, 2009 – Ride proud, dress loud. That is the message the motorcycle safety community is sending to all Iowa motorcyclists.
Toni Kerkove from the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Driver Services says, “Being proactive when behind the wheel or in the saddle, and driving or riding defensively are always good survival strategies. Seeing and being seen are also major elements of a viable highway safety strategy.”
A major study (1) conducted by a group of medical and public health professionals in New Zealand during 1993-1996 that investigated a correlation between rider conspicuity and crash-related injury concluded, “Wearing reflective or fluorescent clothing and white- or light-colored helmets, and using headlights in daytime could reduce serious injuries or deaths from motorcycle crashes by up to one third.”
One of the most commonly mentioned contributing factors in multiple vehicle crashes involving motorcyclists is that the motorcycle/rider was either not seen at all by the operator of the other vehicle or seen too late for the crash to be avoided. Sadly, the all-too-frequent outcome of an unplanned “meeting” like this is a life-altering injury – or worse.
There are lots of actions motorcyclists can take to increase their visibility and draw the attention of other drivers who may not be actively looking for them. Here are a few safety tips to reduce the vulnerability of riders.
· Wear a fluorescent/reflective safety vest and/or bright-colored jacket.
· Wear a white- or light-colored helmet.
· Carefully position your vehicle in traffic.
· Add a headlight modulator to your motorcycle.
· Instead of breaking to slow or stop, flash your vehicle’s taillight several times before you begin to slow.
· Use reflective materials on your helmet, clothing and motorcycle.
· Make noticeable vehicle movements.
· Add auxiliary driving lights or fog lights to your motorcycle.
Riding gear is not about making a fashion statement. It is about being as visible as possible to prevent a crash from happening, and serious injury or death should a crash occur.
Tom Welch, Iowa DOT safety engineer, notes that today’s driver distractions and weaker peripheral (the ability to see at the edges of the field of view) and night vision of older drivers are two other reasons why motorcyclists should consider ways to increase their visibility. “We’re finding increased evidence that younger drivers are becoming more distracted by activities such as talking on the cell phone or texting while driving. In addition, motorcycles are less visible to older drivers. They may also have difficulty judging the speed of an approaching motorcycle, especially at night.”
For more information on motorcycle safety, log on to http://www.iowamre.com/.
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Contact: Toni Kerkove at 641-423-1675 or [email protected]
(1) http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/328/7444/857