18-12-15, 11:57 AM
a couple of points from my perspective as a fireman/RoSPA tutor/fire bike rider/Biker down tutor
1. the emergency services wear hi viz for a reason......it gets you seen....even the white lid is seen better (by most of the population and granted there are goons who won't see you no matter how hard you try.......cue my fire engine mobile to a job, all the lights/bells klaxons on the go and the numpty pulls straight out in front of us)
as I ride, and it maybe that I'm more observant than other riders (no insult intended here but advanced riding teaches better observation skills) I tend to notice hi viz wearers early and can adjust to their position whether road users or pedestrians
2. biker down indeed discuss's hi viz and as others have said, its about the background, yellow on yellow/green on green and you have issues
3. weaving.....sounds drastic that word and confuses some but the technique works, not so much a weave but advanced riders will move away from a hazard..... in the case of a car at a junction, by moving away from the nearside/middle of the lane to the outer side then the movement catches the eye especially with headlights on. as for the car being at 90 degrees its the hi viz he's seeing not the reflective bits ergo hi viz is more daylight and the reflective bits are more darkness
try google looming and motion camouflage for better understanding of issues of us being seen by others
4. filtering......If people especially in stationary traffic still use their mirrors then hi viz should be seen but as a lot peeps just sit there waiting to move, then they don't consider looking.....I always bang the hi beam on when filtering and will try and "weave" as much as possible in the space I have to try and gain attention
5. a solicitor once told me that wearing a hi viz vest will automatically get you 80% of the benefit in court should you be hit, a cop once told me that at the scene of an accident, your clothing is duly noted by plod, hence you're all hi vizzed up, white/yellow lid then its hard for the cager to say Smidsy
I ride with it and its been pointed out that hi viz with sleeves is seen more than hi viz without, ie a full jacket as opposed to a vest helps more as sometimes the screen/fairing masks the vest where as the arms seem more prominent, very pertinent if your hi viz is grubby with road grime and not really that hi viz any more
for those interested, there are different categories of hi viz too, if memory serves the class 1 is the best and is used by emergency workers and motorway workers as its the brightest
1. the emergency services wear hi viz for a reason......it gets you seen....even the white lid is seen better (by most of the population and granted there are goons who won't see you no matter how hard you try.......cue my fire engine mobile to a job, all the lights/bells klaxons on the go and the numpty pulls straight out in front of us)
as I ride, and it maybe that I'm more observant than other riders (no insult intended here but advanced riding teaches better observation skills) I tend to notice hi viz wearers early and can adjust to their position whether road users or pedestrians
2. biker down indeed discuss's hi viz and as others have said, its about the background, yellow on yellow/green on green and you have issues
3. weaving.....sounds drastic that word and confuses some but the technique works, not so much a weave but advanced riders will move away from a hazard..... in the case of a car at a junction, by moving away from the nearside/middle of the lane to the outer side then the movement catches the eye especially with headlights on. as for the car being at 90 degrees its the hi viz he's seeing not the reflective bits ergo hi viz is more daylight and the reflective bits are more darkness
try google looming and motion camouflage for better understanding of issues of us being seen by others
4. filtering......If people especially in stationary traffic still use their mirrors then hi viz should be seen but as a lot peeps just sit there waiting to move, then they don't consider looking.....I always bang the hi beam on when filtering and will try and "weave" as much as possible in the space I have to try and gain attention
5. a solicitor once told me that wearing a hi viz vest will automatically get you 80% of the benefit in court should you be hit, a cop once told me that at the scene of an accident, your clothing is duly noted by plod, hence you're all hi vizzed up, white/yellow lid then its hard for the cager to say Smidsy
I ride with it and its been pointed out that hi viz with sleeves is seen more than hi viz without, ie a full jacket as opposed to a vest helps more as sometimes the screen/fairing masks the vest where as the arms seem more prominent, very pertinent if your hi viz is grubby with road grime and not really that hi viz any more
for those interested, there are different categories of hi viz too, if memory serves the class 1 is the best and is used by emergency workers and motorway workers as its the brightest
fire never sleeps