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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.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:52AM (5 children)
Someone needs to explain to motorcylists that it is a matter of life and death that the other drivers can predict what they are going to do. Most motorcylists seem to take pride in acting in the least predictable manner they can achieve.
And riding on the wrong side of the road, even within the speed limit (not that that happens a lot) should be dealt with very severely by the courts, seeing the alternative is a death sentence.
(Score: 2) by choose another one on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:34AM (1 child)
And driving should not? why?
Or do you never overtake unless there are multiple lanes?
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:07PM
Or do you never overtake unless there are multiple lanes?
No, I don't normally overtake unless there are multiple lanes, but I live in London, and on most roads around here, there is always traffic going both ways - even at 3AM. If you live somewhere where there is only one car an hour, that is not the situation I was thinking about. Here bikers pop out from behind cars to overtake a car on their side because it is obeying the speed limits (cameras every few hundred yards), forcing you to brake or hit them - this can happen almost continuously if you travel in the opposite direction to rush hour traffic. The bikers presumably think a car is as manoeuvrable as they are, and are playing chicken, or are not thinking at all.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @12:04PM
You seem to be confusing bicyclists, who often ride on the wrong side of the road, with motorcyclists. It's very unusual to see a motorcyclist going the wrong way. Maybe some kid with a dirt bike, who isn't allowed on the road to start with, trying to sneak a short distance between home and his favorite dirt course.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @03:07PM
We know that and most of what we do is in fact highly predictable. The fact that other motorists don't know how to predict is speaks volumes about the lack of competency in typical drivers. We're going to cut across the lane from outside to inside and back to outside much of the time when we go around turns. We're usually going to pull off to one side or another of the lane when coming to a stop and motorists should do that as well so that we don't get crushed by idiots failing to stop in time.
This whole business of bikers being unpredictable is mainly because most drivers are incompetent. For the most part, if you just drive at some sort of predictable way, we'll figure out how to make it work. We've got more options than you do and we've got better maneuverability as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:19AM
Thanks mate, always good to learn something new, after riding safely on the roads for 50 years.
Totally amazing I missed all that, thanks!