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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.


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  • (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.

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  • (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.