Does Hi-Viz gear really make you more visible to other motorists?

[beachy]

well I wore my new high viz jacket for the 1st time yesterday and didnt get hit so its working really good so far

 

[user 213]

But, the implied question, as has been stated: Does that help, hinder or do nothing at all for you?

At the end of the day, this may be situational and in constant flux. As has been said, in a box of apples, only the orange stands out. So in environments where hi-vix is expected or common, among different users, it may not help any. People are expecting to see it, and may tune it out of their threat awareness.

We all agree that the distracted driver is the worst case scenario. We also have the video of the gorilla crossing the basketball court to demonstrate that sharp focus on the wrong thing makes far too many other things oblivious. This pretty much describes texting and similar actions while driving.

Different drivers have different triggers for awareness. Blue hairs and the perennial slow drivers don't often look for LEOs or react to their presence, yet drivers that tend to speed, even slightly, are on a constant watch for them. "Cop Effect" has no impact on the former, but certainly does on the latter. They spot you, and watch you until they figure out you're not a LEO. That's a big heightened awareness.

When riding my blue Road King during Sturgis bike week, (in and around the Sturgis area), wearing a white half helmet with black visor, I got a surprising amount of 'cop effect' from the other riders, even hard core 'bikers'. Many times one would slam on the brakes, or start to pull out and stop, or just have a startled moment, then realize I wasn't a cop. Several blurted out, "shit man, I thought you were a cop!" Black textile gear, white helmet, even on the blue road king. I was the 'orange' because so few were wearing textile and helmets in that environment. OTOH, the typical "pirate" got very little respect from other car traffic. They were the 'apples'.

OTOH, coming away from the start of the Iron Butt Rally in Seattle traffic in '11, people in the area had been inundated with riders wearing all forms of full gear, riding odd bikes, loaded with crap and looking like power rangers for almost a week. I was invisible in traffic, leaving after all the rally riders had spread to the four winds. I was geared up and riding a rally prepped bike and to the Seattle morning traffic, just another one of what they had been seeing for days on their commute routes. I was just another apple in a big box of apples.

I think the black leather 'biker' reaction is much less today than it used to be. With the rise of HOG chapters and the heavy tv use of 'bikers' for all types of shows, plus movies like "Wild Hogs", the average person doesn't feel threatened by 'bikers' unless they have an awareness of what a 1%er really is. In the '80's, people would think I was a 1%er, because I wore black leather. They didn't have a clue what a real biker was or how to tell the difference, so I got more respect and was considered a treat to them, thus greater awareness.

Different environments, different reactions from drivers.

 

[Fred W]

Hmmm... Gotta stand out from the crowd, eh?

Maybe those squidly kids are onto something here:

LFSL!

 

[user 213]

How many times have you seen someone in cat ears or some similar helmet ornamentation in traffic? Usually people are pointing them out to each other. Different and attention doesn't always mean safer for everyone though. I've seen a car rear end another car while laughing at some guy with floppy ears on his helmet. Distraction.... oopps. Ok for that bike, but what about the others?

No clear answers. Hi-viz is more visible. But only to people with some awareness of what it means, or those that seldom see it and are attentive.

To the zoned out commuters that travel the same route every day and are multi-tasking, not much will help. That's one of the reasons I stopped commuting on the bike decades ago. It's the highest density, highest degree of zoned out drivers and least fun time to ride with the highest risks.

 

[Patriot]

 

[SacramentoMike]

Point made, Mike. There's a reason why deer hunters wear bright colors. And deer themselves dress in camo.

.

 

[Bustanut joker]

To the zoned out commuters that travel the same route every day and are multi-tasking, not much will help.

And that's what makes driving a "large car" so much fun anymore.. You can lane change and run 'em into the ditch or median... Just let a cop here in Michigan know you seen a cell phone and the records from it will be checked..

 

[LAF]

And as a follow up the only reason I did not go Hi Viz on my new set of Aero Stich is they look like poop in a very few years. Every stitch I have seen that is a few years old is faded. And any other manufacturer I have seen that has survived a few years is the same.

Not a reason not to buy and wear if it makes you feel better but it is a consideration.

I bought 2 Darreian jackets, two pair of pants, AD1 and Darreian lite.

I belong to a BMW club and had the opportunity to see guys who go 10's of thousand miles a year. All showed and allowed me to try on their Stitch stuff. All who had Hi Viz with miles and years on were turning dull gray. They all recommended I stay away from it for that reason. I bought Black for Winter and gray for Summer.

I think this is a great discussion and will surely help a lot of people out in making choices. We are all different and make our own choices, and being better informed is part of that decision process.

 

[RossKean]

I have not (yet) bought any Hi-Vis stuff but with this discussion, I may do so. I would likely go the route of getting a Hi-Vis helmet for the benefit of being seen a little better (with the risk of looking a little like a radioactive pimple).

 

[Bounce]

Get hi-vis yellow for your helmet and then do like a friend does... put decals on the back so it looks like a giant smiley face.

(eyes and a smile)

 

[ionbeam]

Get hi-vis yellow for your helmet and then do like a friend does... put decals on the back so it looks like a giant smiley face.
(eyes and a smile)

Using 3M's highly reflective black tape

 

[karstenp]

Get hi-vis yellow for your helmet and then do like a friend does... put decals on the back so it looks like a giant smiley face.
(eyes and a smile)

Using 3M's highly reflective black tape

I have done the same to my helmets..... kids seem to love it and it also brought a smile once to an officer who pulled me over for being less than attentive to my speed.

I personnally am a big believer in wearing Hi Viz. Will it protect me from those that are not paying attention or not looking?... of course not. But it just might catch the eye of someone making a quick glance more so than if I was wearing dark colors. I have lost count of the number of people who have commented on how well I "stood out" on the road while wearing Hi Viz.

I saw the New Zealand study year ago and started to wear white helmets as well after the study was released. Someone mentioned in an earlier post that this study was dated and that the Hi Viz helmet was the way to go today. I like the colour contrast of the white with Hi Viz, but I also believe that a Hi Viz helmet would be easier to see than the jacket due to its unobstructive view. It is time for a helmet change, so this year I will be switching to the Hi Viz HJC or Shoei Neotec Borealis in lieu of a white helmet.

 

[tuggy]

On the continent last year I noticed a lot of riders with the neon Hi Viz helmets. They do stick out. So that's my next purchase.

I wear a vest over my jacket, have Realtime decals on the sides & panniers. But in the split second a cager glances right at a T junction coz their in a hurry because they're so much more important than everybody else I still don't trust that they'll spot me.

If all else fails stick some blue flashing lights on or...

 

[HotRodZilla]

Just remember that in a world full of hi-viz, your hi-viz isn't gonna grab anyone's attention. Once it's no longer "alarming" its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

I'm not sure where to find that particular study, but common sense says...

 

[ionbeam]

Just remember that in a world full of hi-viz, your hi-viz isn't gonna grab anyone's attention. Once it's no longer "alarming" its effectiveness is greatly reduced.
I'm not sure where to find that particular study, but common sense says...

So, by this point I should no longer be alarmed by flashing red & blue lights and simply keep on riding?

After all, the lights are an attempt to get my attention but I've seen them frequently. Or, will they cause target fixation resulting in a crash? Or, possibly, with all the other advertising lights the red & blue lights simply don't stand out as being different. Thanks for clearing that up, I just hated getting pulled over. </sarcasm>

 

[karstenp]

Even though I am a big believer in Hi Viz, I am concerned over the potential legislation that I understand is being introduced in some countries (i.e. France, Australia..) to make wearing Hi Viz mandatory while riding a motorcycle, bicycle, horse etc.

I believe the choice to wear Hi Viz must remain a personal choice for the various different opinions offered here. To be honest, even though most of my gear is Hi Viz, I think I would intentionally purchase and wear all black as a vote of protest if a law was passed making Hi Viz mandatory. Who knows......I might even be able to ride a whole day without getting hit...thereby proving without any doubt that wearing Hi Viz is no more effective than wearing black...

 

[HotRodZilla]

Haha...No Alan. I'm saying that if everyone is wearing hi-viz at the same time as you, then you're just another one of many. Too much of the same color doesn't stick out.

 

[SacramentoMike]

If all cars, trucks, street signs, mailboxes, billboards, grass, trees, bushes, and buildings were hi-viz, AJ, I'd agree completely.

But there really aren't that many motorcycles in sight at the same time anywhere. 'Cept maybe Sturgis, one week a year. So even if every one of them dressed in brighter gear, I think they'd all be more visible.

.

 

[tuggy]

https://ukfrancebikers.com/2013/03/16/france-compulsory-reflective-stickers-on-all-helmets/

Ah, will this spread?

 

[Fred W]

That is a good question. My guess would be yes, unless it is fought against vigorously by users (riders), which is also likely to happen at least here in the US. There will always be a fraction of do-gooders that will attempt to legislate your personal safety.

Let's be careful here as this borders closely on a political discussion.