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By Nitrowing
#92208
I don't think you're reading my post - car drivers pull out on LORRIES.
We have nothing but our wits to rely on.
Daytime Running Lights - Australia made it compulsory and their accident rates went up. They repealed the law, accident rates went back down.

Anything that makes you feel safer is the biggest danger - you need to feel unsafe. You are unsafe. You will literally turn in to mince meat if things go wrong.
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By windmill john
#92210
Wheaters wrote:
Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:12 am
These days I ride fast but defensively and in particular don’t carry out manoeuvres such as “Lane splitting” because I consider it far too risky. People who do are relying on all other drivers being alert and sensible, which many are not. All it takes is one car driver to wander and for a handlebar/mirror clash and the rider is off and under the wheels of following traffic.

I filter often when the traffic is busy, but I always have the same view, not like those idiots on YouTube who blame the drivers.
When I’m filtering, my witts are on high alert and I take the view that if anything happens, it’s my fault. So I watch out for body language all the time, not just people but vehicles. It’s all common sense really. If there’s a space, someone will try to fill it. If the traffic is stationary, someone may get out, or put their arm out.... or get out!
By Rattlebattle
#92213
I choose neither to wear hi-viz vets nor to ride with headlights on unless the visibility is compromised as per the Highway Code (rain, fog etc). My C5 is camouflaged (sometimes I can't find where I parked it..... :D ). And yet, despite this apparently contrarian stance, I seldom have a vehicle pull out of a side road into my path. Why is this? As Stinkwheel has said, a key means of catching a driver's attention is to alter your position on the road as you approach a vehicle on a side road. This is more effective than any number of hi-viz vests, primarily because they have reached saturation point, with all manner of pedestrians and road users now wearing them. There has been a lot of research on how human vision works, including peripheral vision. To a large degree we see what we expect to see. A hi-viz vest is less effective now that they have reached saturation point whereas a dark shape that moves will catch the driver's eye. There is a fascinating study on eyesight and how it actually works, prepared to assist fighter pilots. In essence what might be perceived as obvious isn't necessarily so. Better spend the money on IAM Surety or Rospa rider training and then to keep it up.
Re video cameras I did buy one a couple of years ago. It was a £30 Chinese wonder (basically a Go_Pro ripoff) that I bough to see if it would be worth my investing in a decent one. I tried on my C5. It worked after a fashion; the picture (HD) was pretty good but you could tell when I was changing gear because the vibes blurred the picture until the engine was no longer under acceleration load. The sound, however, was awful because it picked up too much wind noise. I tried it on my Honda, wondering what a video of my doing the ton would look like. Not much, there was little sensation of speed and again, sound was just wind rush. Overall it was better on the RE and gave a decent, if quirky, record of my ride of half an hour or so. I'd recommend buying an el cheapo first, to avoid wasting money and then funding you can't be bothered with it. (My conclusion).
By Rattlebattle
#92215
Sorry, that should read IAM Roadsmart. IAM Surety is the insurance arm for IAM members.
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By Wheaters
#92216
A camera has no bearing on how likely you are to have another driver pull out and cause an accident for you. It’s only real use is after the event. I do sometimes ride with one, but really only because my son bought it for me to record off road trials sections in my car. It came with a mount that is really designed for a bike helmet but bearing in mind what happened to poor old Michael Schumacher I fitted mine on the side of the headlight where it hopefully won’t punch a hole in my skull. :shock:

Btw, no official motoring organisation sanctions riding at 100 mph on public roads where the speed limit is, at most, 60 mph. If you do so, any driver pulling out in front can hardly be held totally to blame.
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By stinkwheel
#92221
Nitrowing wrote:
Sun Aug 16, 2020 12:45 pm
I don't think you're reading my post - car drivers pull out on LORRIES.
We have nothing but our wits to rely on.
Did you watch the video I posted? It explains why. Once you know why, you can do something about it. The guy is quite entertaining with it.
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By windmill john
#92226
I think Fortnine knows he’s entertaining, but I have watched a lot of his videos.

I’d never heard of saccades until I watched his video. Then I watched a couple of medical videos on the subject; interesting.

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