By MIKE Phillips

HOG

crashes involve another vehicle, like a car or truck. Most of these crashes are the fault of the other driver. You all know what the other driver says,“ I never saw the motorcycle.” This is offered as an excuse to ease the blame for a crash. There are many more cars and trucks on the road than motorcycles, and some drivers do not see bikes. They do not always ignore us; sometimes, they don’ t see us. Let’ s look at some reasons why drivers do not see bikes.

Many car drivers look for cars and trucks but not bikes because they don’ t expect to see bikes. Due to its narrow profile, a bike can be easily hidden from other drivers. Bikes are one-third the width of a car, which makes them harder to see. Bikes often blend into the background of other vehicles, buildings, or landscapes. A bike with a color that matches the surroundings is hard to see.

The size of a bike makes it hard to judge how far away it is. The speed of a bike is also hard to judge. This is especially true when the bike is coming in a straight line to a driver’ s eyesight. The background does not change when bikes come straight toward your eyesight, making distance and speed hard to judge.

Riders sometimes slow down with engine braking that will not activate the bike’ s brake lights. Some riders do not use turn signals or forget to cancel the signal, confusing other drivers. Some riders will turn their headlights off when they ride. All of these things make bikes harder to see.

There are things riders can do to make themselves more visible. Wear bright colors like yellow, orange, white, or other bright colors. Road construction workers wear orange vests, and police wear yellow vests to increase visibility. Colorful helmets increase a rider’ s visibility. Always ride with your headlight on. The headlight on many bikes is automatically on all the time. Activate your brake light every time you slow down. Keep the fog lamps on all the time. Some bikes have a button that can be activated with the left index finger that will flash the headlight. If your bike does not have that button, you can flip the headlight quickly from dim to bright several times. I use this anytime I think a driver may not see me. Add special effects lights to your bike. Check the law in your state to see what extra lighting is legal. Be sure to check that all your lights are working every time you ride.

Lane position is very important for visibility. Ride in a lane position that lets you see and be seen. This

position changes often due to traffic and road conditions. Please stay away from other vehicles’ blind spots by slowing down to stay behind them or speeding up to get away from them. Do not ride close to the vehicle in front of you. That driver may not see you and slam on his brakes. The driver behind you can lose sight of your bike in the profile of the other cars.

When approaching an intersection, I sometimes rock my bike slightly from side to side. This increases my profile and rocks my headlight like one on the front of a train. There is no proof that loud pipes save lives. They may help, but do not bet your safety on loud pipes. Motorcycle horns are not very effective. Riders can change the horn to something louder or a noise not usually heard, like an air horn. Riders should constantly check their mirrors. The objects in the mirror are generally closer than they appear, and remember, it is hard to judge the speed of an approaching vehicle in the mirror.

Ride like you are invisible because, to many drivers, you are invisible. Safety is your responsibility; don’ t count on others for your safety. Other drivers don’ t want to hurt you. Sometimes, they really don’ t see you. CMA

Mike Phillips is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation( MSF) instructor in Arkansas.

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