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posted by mrpg on Saturday January 06 2018, @06:09AM   Printer-friendly
from the ohoh dept.

The disproportionately high number of motorcycle-related traffic accidents may be linked to the way the human brain processes—or fails to process—information, according to new research published in Human Factors, "Allocating Attention to Detect Motorcycles: The Role of Inattentional Blindness." The study examines how the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, or a person's failure to notice an unexpected object located in plain sight, might explain the prevalence of looked-but-failed-to-see (LBFTS) crashes, the most common type of collision involving motorcycles.

According to human factors/ergonomics researchers Kristen Pammer, Stephanie Sabadas, and Stephanie Lentern, LBFTS crashes are particularly troublesome because, despite clear conditions and the lack of other hazards or distractions, drivers will look in the direction of the oncoming motorcycle - and in some cases appear to look directly at the motorcycle - but still pull out into its path.

The study authors suggest training drivers to be more alert for motorcycles.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by ataradov on Saturday January 06 2018, @06:56AM (30 children)

    by ataradov (4776) on Saturday January 06 2018, @06:56AM (#618651) Homepage

    It totally has nothing to do with the fact that they drive like like crazy, speeding and lane splitting.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Snotnose on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:01AM (12 children)

    by Snotnose (1623) on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:01AM (#618653)

    I dumped coffee grounds on a lane splitting guy. Mid 80's, traffic was backed up for some reason, the coffee that usually lasted me halfway into my day got drained on I-8 westbound between College and Waring. Took the top off, tossed the grains out the window, and nailed some dude lane splitting at speed (I was at a dead stop). I'd checked my mirrors first, never saw the guy. Somehow I felt guilty, but never felt bad over that.

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:08AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:08AM (#618654)

      That little toy that masqueraded as a kind little man finally made it through the smallest doorway in your ass maze! He forcibly pulled the sack he was carrying through it, sending him flying into the deepest reaches of the mazes of your ass! Major tickle on ass! Major tickle!

    • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:17AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:17AM (#618658)

      Alim tsk tsk, alim tsk tsk! Alim tsk tsk, alim tsk tsk! Alim tsk tsk, alim tsk tsk!

      Oh, my! That invisible toy is going to slurp off every single spec of graveyard fog off of your cheeks, and there's nothing you can do about it since not a single cheek of you ares is capable of movement! You will rue the day you danced with your bootyass in that foggy graveyard! Wow! It just reached your snappyhole...

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:47PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:47PM (#618784)

        I want more weather war. :(

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:34AM (7 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:34AM (#618660)

      My boss at Chevron had acquired one of the big old F350 refinery trucks. No sooner than he had it on the freeway, some motorcyclist took his mirror off. Lane splitting.

      Pissed, my boss took the truck over to the welding shop and one of the guys put the mirror back on so good you could pick the truck up by the mirror if you wanted to. I mean he built that thing to last.

      About a week later, boss came in, this time, smiling.

      Same thing happened. Different outcome. FwanG! The truck shook a bit, but the mirror didn't move. Bounced the motorcyclist into the ditch off the side of the freeway, safely away from the other traffic.

      • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:46AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:46AM (#618665)

        I've unilaterally decided to chew your rectum like bubble gum as I please like corn on peas. What's this...? Pinworm goodies!? Ah, too good!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @02:28PM (5 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @02:28PM (#618753)

        I call bs -- F350 mirrors are well above motorcycle handlebar height.

        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:00PM

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:00PM (#618762) Journal

          Ape hanger height? Browse the images - https://duckduckgo.com/?t=palemoon&q=chopper+ape+hanger&iax=images&ia=images [duckduckgo.com] Most of them range from weird, to strange, to kinda cool. Look at that preposterous bastard on the yellow machine. http://www.dpccars.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Extreme-Motorcycle-Ape-Hangers-5.jpg [dpccars.com]

          when that boy was born, the doctor slapped his mama.

        • (Score: 2, Interesting) by toddestan on Saturday January 06 2018, @11:32PM

          by toddestan (4982) on Saturday January 06 2018, @11:32PM (#618933)

          Depends on how old the truck is. Used to be that the the F350 was basically a beefed up F150, and back then the F150 was not as gigantic as it is now. Given that the replacement mirror was welded, it probably was an older truck, because you couldn't weld it on a newer one because there would be nothing to weld it to (too much plastic).

        • (Score: 3, Informative) by Reziac on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:35AM (2 children)

          by Reziac (2489) on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:35AM (#618979) Homepage

          I drive an F350 (dually, not 4x4) with standard tow mirrors, and in the interests of science I just measured it:

          47 inches from ground to bottom of mirror.

          Just right for smacking lane-splitters in the helmet.

          --
          And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
          • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @09:42AM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @09:42AM (#619069)

            The original mirror was kinda flimsy anyway... and he always griped that he could not see past his trailer with it.

            Once it was broken, he replaced it with a towing mirror of his own design, which stood out quite a bit further. So he could see around his trailer. And he did not mind a little cosmetic re-do to the door. The refinery always has lots of scrap metal around. He used some.

            I just went back to look up the Wikipedia to see if I could identify his old truck ... second generation F350 [wikipedia.org]... that hood and grill design is unmistakeable.

            Big old black truck. And it had seen its share of refinery stuff when he got it .. mostly dings. But it was big and sturdy.

            Its what he bought the truck for... towing a recreational trailer. And when he wasn't using it for that, he drove it to work.

            But come vacation time, he would pack his family up and go. Wherever. To the middle of nowhere. And camp or whatever.

            He did not care at all if he got the truck dirty... or a kid made a mess. Just hose it out.

            This was in the early 60's. His wife drove the family car. Upper class in those days... a two vehicle family!

            Big old heavy truck that would tow damned near anything.

            • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday January 08 2018, @12:33AM

              by Reziac (2489) on Monday January 08 2018, @12:33AM (#619341) Homepage

              Those old-fashioned bald interiors had their virtues -- as you say, literally just hose it out!

              --
              And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @04:38AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @04:38AM (#619008)

      So, you were in the process of littering and you hit a biker. You're very lucky that the guy didn't come back and beat the shit out of you.

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:17AM (3 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:17AM (#618657) Journal

    It totally has nothing to do with the fact that they drive like like crazy, speeding and lane splitting.

    Yes. Bad driving can make the problem worse, but it's long been a real thing. It was part of my drivers ed course, for example, on how to deal with (or even to look for) motorbikes on the road.

    • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:39AM (2 children)

      by frojack (1554) on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:39AM (#618662) Journal

      My driver's education Course covered that too. That was back in the late 60s. So whatever they wewe teaching all these years clearly wasn't working.

      If they've been teaching something the same way for 50 year's and we still have the problem, maybe it's time to teach a different method.

      --
      No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
      • (Score: 5, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:05AM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:05AM (#618672) Journal
        Teaching is not the same thing as learning. I suppose if everyone rode a motorcycle as part of the class, that might do.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:32AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:32AM (#618679)

        I still fondly remember my driver's ed teacher in High School referring to them as "Donorcycles".

        Well, during that day, a lot of riders did not wear helmets, so traffic interactions commonly ended up with an intact body but smashed brain...

        Great source for spare kidneys!

  • (Score: 4, Touché) by qzm on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:56AM (1 child)

    by qzm (3260) on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:56AM (#618695)

    So, I assume then that that is the reason for the huge increase in cyclist deaths? Its their own fault, right? no?

    The main reason motorcyclists get killed often is there are not enough of them, so, as the research says, people dont see them, and kill them.
    Yes, there are some nutters - same for cars - but they are a small minority.

    For some reason be are getting bicycle lanes all over the place, they get special bays at lights, their own paths - the excuse is often that this is to help reduce traffic.
    All without paying a dollar of road charges, insurances, medical insurances (in countries where that is included, which is many).
    Whereas motorcyclists, who reduce traffic far more (as it is a much more practical transportation than cycling), get absolutely nothing, even though they pay.

    Around here they just banned motorcyclists from bus lanes - why? no one seems to know, cyclists are allowed - oh yes, cannot touch them!
    It would be TRIVIAL to add a motorcycle lane on most motorways, the unused meter or so on the inside or outside would do fine - and save them lane splitting (which is also usually legal, in many areas), but no.

    Why? because almost none of this is actually about roading - not efficiency, not safety, not CO2, nothing.
    Its about trying to be SEEN to be more PC than the next council/roading board/etc.
    Its about 'looking good' at elections.
    The last thing it is about is good transport.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by theluggage on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:34PM

      by theluggage (1797) on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:34PM (#618811)

      Around here they just banned motorcyclists from bus lanes - why? no one seems to know, cyclists are allowed - oh yes, cannot touch them!

      Maybe, just maybe, because pushbikes travel at ~10mph, whereas even a farty little 70cc motor scooter is capable of keeping up with urban traffic and following the same rules of the road?

      Or that pushbikes are not only zero-emission, but help keep their riders fit, are far cheaper to buy and run than any motor vehicle?

      and save them lane splitting (which is also usually legal, in many areas), but no.

      Now, that is where motorbikes and pushbikes are alike: drivers are expected to pass them with the same clearance as they would another car, but its somehow the God-given right of riders to dart though the tiniest gap between vehicles and complain when the driver's x-ray 360 degree vision doesn't spot them...

  • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @02:56PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @02:56PM (#618758)

    Sigh, not this ignorance. Motorcyclists lane split for two reason, one because some motorcycles lack liquid cooling which can mean they break down completely if stuck in traffic during the summer. It's also safer to get sideswiped than run over.

    American driver's education programs fail miserably in many ways. Failing to educate drivers about how motorcyclists ride is just one aspect of it.

    • (Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:49PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:49PM (#618786)

      Then maybe these pwecious bikes should have liquid cooling.

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:48PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:48PM (#618894)

        That only solves part of the problem. We also don't have air conditioning or even a fan while wearing what amounts to winter gear in the heat.

        There's nothing particularly dangerous about lane splitting when motorists don't drive like dicks.

    • (Score: 1) by toddestan on Saturday January 06 2018, @11:41PM (1 child)

      by toddestan (4982) on Saturday January 06 2018, @11:41PM (#618934)

      Two reasons? I always thought they did it primarily to get to where they are going faster.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @05:06AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @05:06AM (#619014)

        Nope. I can't speak of other states, but around here you occasionally see bikers sharing a lane with each other, but never riding between lanes. Occasionally, I'll sneak by on the left if I'm trying to make a right hand turn and have just a partial car length of car blocking my turn, but that's about it.

        Getting places quicker is just a byproduct of it, not a cause.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:22PM (5 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Saturday January 06 2018, @04:22PM (#618805)

    FYI, lane splitting is perfectly legal in some states (I think California). I can't speak to the safety aspect, which I think is debatable, but it's not illegal everywhere.

    • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:37AM (4 children)

      by Reziac (2489) on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:37AM (#618980) Homepage

      Yes, legal in CA, last I paid attention. Basically a case of legalizing what they do anyway.

      I've seen a few car-vs-motorcycle, and it's invariably been a lane-splitter in the car's blind spot as they change lanes at slow speed.

      --
      And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 07 2018, @07:34PM (3 children)

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Sunday January 07 2018, @07:34PM (#619253)

        I'm not a motorcyclist, but it does seem to me that lane-splitting isn't so bad or dangerous if it's done in heavy, stopped traffic, for instance at a stop light where there's 2+ lanes and all the cars are at a stand-still while the light is red. The motorcycle can slowly drive up between the cars to the front, then easily out-accelerate everyone when the light turns green, which lessens the traffic load and gets more vehicles through the light while it's green. But yeah, doing it in moving traffic seems like a bad idea.

        • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday January 07 2018, @08:08PM (2 children)

          by Reziac (2489) on Sunday January 07 2018, @08:08PM (#619263) Homepage

          Yeah, dead-stop traffic isn't really a huge issue -- most of the time. But then you get the bike who lane-splits, gets up to the front, then neglects to notice he's between dual turn lanes where one is optional-turn, and goes straight when the guy next to him legitimately turns... smack into the bike. Or the bike who stops having sneaked up on the far right intending to go straight, then is astonished when the car (or worse, big truck) doing a legit right turn clips his front wheel.

          Where I've seen it be a problem on L.A. freeways is the transition areas between HOV and normal lanes, or where a left lane merges right, and the bike thinks because he can fit in the space between, he's golden. Basically, anywhere there's a lot of turning or lane changing makes it a bad idea.

          --
          And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
          • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 07 2018, @10:56PM (1 child)

            by Grishnakh (2831) on Sunday January 07 2018, @10:56PM (#619316)

            Seems to me that it should be restricted to places where there's two lanes both going straight, and that the biker can only go between the straight-only lanes. That should avoid these corner cases, while still deriving most of the benefit that lane-splitting gives to the overall traffic situation.

            • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday January 08 2018, @12:29AM

              by Reziac (2489) on Monday January 08 2018, @12:29AM (#619340) Homepage

              Yeah, basically "don't do it where doing it is Darwinistic".

              Tho as a me-too to above remarks, more than once I've had some biker come along between and have to duck my tow mirrors at the last instant... in parts of L.A. with the old narrow freeway lanes, there isn't actually enough room, but some still try it. Never had one helmet himself on my truck, but it was sometimes a near thing.

              --
              And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.