Originally Posted by
europa
Interestingly, a single light makes it harder to judge distance and speed ... which is why compulsory headlights on never became law in this country.
Excuses aside, most drivers just don't care, it's as simple and as brutal as that. I've never had so much room on the road as when I owned a white BMW motorbike ... at a time when the cops rode white BMW motorbikes - true story.
Richard
Could you cite a reference, please?
Here is a reference I found, contradicted entirely by the following reference I found. Take your choice, I guess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety
Another central conclusion of the Hurt Report was this:
The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.
Wearing white helmets, compared to black, reduces the chance of collision by 24%
Riders must be prepared for the unexpected
Furthermore:
Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.
A recent New Zealand study also agreed:
Fluorescent clothing, white or light colored helmets, and daytime headlights may reduce motorcycle injuries and death. Wells and colleagues (p 857) analyzed 463 motorcycle drivers admitted to hospital following a road traffic incident and 1233 other drivers (control group) to evaluate how wearing conspicuous attire affected the risk of having an accident. They found that with reflective or fluorescent clothing the risk of a crash injury was reduced by 37%, with a white helmet by 24%, and with headlights by 27%.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-13>[14]