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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: 1) by toddestan on Sunday January 07 2018, @12:14AM (1 child)
I have the same problem. I'm tall, and drive a smaller car. I otherwise fit just fine in the car, but the rear-view mirror is a nice car-sized blind-spot, and can completely obscure a vehicle coming up to an intersection I'm approaching at the same time. I've just had to learn to remember to look around/under the mirror to make sure I'm not missing another car.
My car is older too, newer cars are even worse as the mirror has grown in size as they've added buttons and lights and other crap to it. And the greenhouses now are a more low-slung and slopey (compared to older cars that tend to have them squared off), with the end result that I'm often looking out the very top of the windshield even in cars much larger than the one I have now.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday January 07 2018, @03:32PM
I have a ugly as hell Yaris and my wife traded in her Prius for a ugly Sienna. I once drove a sporty-wannabe 90s Saturn which was a pretty nice looking car although it had terrible visibility. Another historical anecdote; Plymouth Horizon / Dodge Omni, ugly as hell, but great visibility. Another ugly car with great visibility: Ford Taurus station wagon.
My wife's old Prius wasn't all that ugly, yet had decent visibility, so compromises do exist.
An interesting technological innovation either via better CAD design or augmented reality would be cars the look nice but have good visibility; you can't buy both at the same time AFAIK.