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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: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:26PM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday January 06 2018, @07:26PM (#618851) Journal

    Lean it back? You mean, like reclining? Uhhhhhhhh - sorry - NO FUCKING WAY! First, my back would hurt like hell. Second, reclining is for sleeping. Okay, so I'm not going to actually fall asleep, unless I'm driving for to many hours. Still, reclining means relaxing. Relaxing is anathema to paying attention, or staying alert. Putting my seat lower to the floor? I don't think my seat has an adjustment for up and down, but if it did, I'd jack it up higher. To low a seat, and my legs and knees start killing me.

    I'll continue to duck my head, to double check that blind spot before I pull out into an intersection.

    I could just take the rearview mirror out, and replace my two outside mirrors with better mirrors. Trucks don't have rear view mirrors on their windshields, after all.

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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:59PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:59PM (#618869)

    I don't mean recline all the way back, just enough so your mirror isn't at the same height as your eyes (while making sure your wrists can touch the top of the wheel, otherwise you're leaning too far back). Or lower your seat if that's possible.

    If those don't work, it sounds like your car just doesn't fit you very well, and you should get a different one. I'm 6'1" and I don't have these problems in my car.