Zone1 Ideas to help motorcycle safety

[2aguy]

Motorcycle riders always say, "start seeing motorcycles." It would help if motorcycles were easier to see.

Two ideas.....

1) wear a safety, reflective vest when you ride, instead of dressing like a ninja in black clothes and a black helmet

2) Put a small, yellow strobe on your bike. I was driving the other day and saw a giant garbage truck in the neighborhood...it had 4 yellow strobes on the back of the truck.

A yellow strobe would be really helpful for seeing motorcycles and scooters at night.......

 

[2aguy]

Someone on another site said the strobe might effect the vision of the motorcycle rider....how about you have one in the front and back.....during the day it wouldn't matter to the rider if they are on, but it would show up to cars.....at night, only put on the one in the back of the bike, the strobe effect would still be seen, but wouldn't effect the rider......

 

[Anathema]

Stop riding down the lane lines or in the breakdown lane.

Start following the same rules of the road that the rest of us do.

Stop traveling in mobs so large have to wait three light cycles to get through an intersection.

 

[petro]

Rode for years without a helmet and never got in an accident. The trick is staying out of blind spots and assuming EVERY other driver is a distracted moron.
Still carry my motorcycle endorsement and want another bike, but simply can't afford it right now.
I learned on a dirt bike which required an extensive amount of attention.

 

[Concerned American]

Someone on another site said the strobe might effect the vision of the motorcycle rider....how about you have one in the front and back.....during the day it wouldn't matter to the rider if they are on, but it would show up to cars.....at night, only put on the one in the back of the bike, the strobe effect would still be seen, but wouldn't effect the rider......

There are many ways to mitigate this problem. Some state laws differ on what they feel is legal though. Strobing headlights are not legal in all states but headlight modulators are. I have ridden for 60 years, a Gold Wing for 40 years among other types of bikes. I have added after market lights to make it more noticeable. I've also added an air horn. I haven't had an accident on my wing. I had a close call on a freeway in San Jose once--a car entering the freeway didn't see me, LOL. I laid on the air horn and he made way though.

 

[petro]

I drove a bright red Jeep for years and got rear ended four times in that vehicle while at a complete stop.

If they couldn't see that with brake lights on, they sure as hell aren't seeing a safety vest on a motorcycle.
Many construction workers have died with those vests on from idiots we let on the road.

Drivers testing requirements are simply pathetic and a downright joke in every state.

 

[petro]

And put down the damn phones already.

No call or text is worth dying over or ruining your life with the guilt of killing someone else with your selfish behavior.

It can wait.

 

[2aguy]

There are many ways to mitigate this problem. Some state laws differ on what they feel is legal though. Strobing headlights are not legal in all states but headlight modulators are. I have ridden for 60 years, a Gold Wing for 40 years among other types of bikes. I have added after market lights to make it more noticeable. I've also added an air horn. I haven't had an accident on my wing. I had a close call on a freeway in San Jose once--a car entering the freeway didn't see me, LOL. I laid on the air horn and he made way though.

I am not talking about a strobing head light....just a small yellow strobe.....

Today, going to work, I saw a debris hauling dumb truck that had 2 strobes over the driver compartment....a garbage truck with 4 strobes on the back, and a municipal, maintenance pick up truck with strobes.....they were all yellow strobes.....

 

[Concerned American]

I am not talking about a strobing head light....just a small yellow strobe.....

I wonder if that wouldn't violate prohibitions on "emergency vehicle" lights. Would hazard flashers be the same? I belong to an org. that cleans a section of roadway under the Adopt-a-Highway program. They issued us a yellow beacon to put on our vehicle as a safety precaution. IDK. Anything that makes you more visible would be good. However, there are those out there that drive by Braille. I have been hit from the rear while sitting stopped at a traffic signal--just a nudge, but pretty unsettling when it is an early 70s gas guzzler that is doing the nudging.

 

[jwoodie]

Rode for years without a helmet and never got in an accident. The trick is staying out of blind spots and assuming EVERY other driver is a distracted moron.
Still carry my motorcycle endorsement and want another bike, but simply can't afford it right now.
I learned on a dirt bike which required an extensive amount of attention.

I rode and raced for years, but always with a helmet. I also rode on the street with my headlight on, even before it was required. The trick to avoiding accidents is to assume that every other driver is TRYING to hit you.

 

[yeh]

There are two types of bike riders. Those who have wrecked. And those who are about to wreck.

 

[d0gbreath]

SEE: See, evaluate, execute, And don't forget that the bike goes where you are looking, known as ocular steering. Also keep in mind that everyone in a cage is trying to kill you. I dropped my RK once, but I've yet to be in a crash.

 

[petro]

Before my bike finally gave out, I gave up night riding out here in the rural areas. Too many close calls with deer.
Buddy rolled right over a racoon at night doing 60. He didn't dump it. Just rode right over it.

 

[Concerned American]

Before my bike finally gave out, I gave up night riding out here in the rural areas. Too many close calls with deer.
Buddy rolled right over a racoon at night doing 60. He didn't dump it. Just rode right over it.

I hit a cat that darted out in front of me on my GW once--barely made a thump.

 

[petro]

I hit a cat that darted out in front of me on my GW once--barely made a thump.

Some poor sap a couple years ago took out a moose up by Duluth. I think he laid it down and the animal landed on top of him. Died at the scene. That was on I-35 just south of the city. 70 mph speed limit.

 

[Concerned American]

Some poor sap a couple years ago took out a moose up by Duluth. I think he laid it down and the animal landed on top of him. Died at the scene. That was on I-35 just south of the city. 70 mph speed limit.

Sounds like the moose took out the poor sap.

 

[PeterPilot]

Before my bike finally gave out, I gave up night riding out here in the rural areas. Too many close calls with deer.
Buddy rolled right over a racoon at night doing 60. He didn't dump it. Just rode right over it.

I've been riding around Florida since the 70s. On a ride out in Utah a deer hit me. Lots of road rash (I was doing 70 late in the afternoon) but no broken bones. I was on a rented Gold Wing.

 

[Concerned American]

I've been riding around Florida since the 70s. On a ride out in Utah a deer hit me. Lots of road rash (I was doing 70 late in the afternoon) but no broken bones. I was on a rented Gold Wing.

Glad you made it out of that in one piece. I live in deer country and it is definitely a big problem. I've taken out five or six in the past 12 years with my truck (moose bumper) but never on my bike. Knock on wood. The worst times are daybreak and dusk as the deer are most active then. In the northern climes, in the winter, it can be pitch black at those times.

 

[elektra]

Motorcycle riders always say, "start seeing motorcycles." It would help if motorcycles were easier to see.

Two ideas.....

1) wear a safety, reflective vest when you ride, instead of dressing like a ninja in black clothes and a black helmet

2) Put a small, yellow strobe on your bike. I was driving the other day and saw a giant garbage truck in the neighborhood...it had 4 yellow strobes on the back of the truck.

A yellow strobe would be really helpful for seeing motorcycles and scooters at night.......

You could not see the garbage truck if it were not for strobe lights?

 

[toobfreak]

Motorcycle riders always say, "start seeing motorcycles." It would help if motorcycles were easier to see.
Two ideas.....
1) wear a safety, reflective vest when you ride, instead of dressing like a ninja in black clothes and a black helmet
2) Put a small, yellow strobe on your bike. I was driving the other day and saw a giant garbage truck in the neighborhood...it had 4 yellow strobes on the back of the truck. A yellow strobe would be really helpful for seeing motorcycles and scooters at night.......

Who did you hit?