On being in a saccade...
#1
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On being in a saccade...
https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-p...each-cyclists/
"Sorry mate, I didn’t see you”. Is a catchphrase used by drivers up and down the country. Is this a driver being careless and dangerous or did the driver genuinely not see you?
This might sound crazy, but your brain actually blocks the image that is being received while your eyes are moving...
High contrast clothing and lights help. In particular, flashing LED’s (front and rear) are especially effective...
Cycle instructors have been saying it for years: Ride in a position further out from the kerb...
a driver is very unlikely to change their behaviour. Therefore, I’d suggest that this is another reason we should be looking at building safety in to our roads, with Dutch style cycling infrastructure...
This might sound crazy, but your brain actually blocks the image that is being received while your eyes are moving...
High contrast clothing and lights help. In particular, flashing LED’s (front and rear) are especially effective...
Cycle instructors have been saying it for years: Ride in a position further out from the kerb...
a driver is very unlikely to change their behaviour. Therefore, I’d suggest that this is another reason we should be looking at building safety in to our roads, with Dutch style cycling infrastructure...
#2
genec
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Here is the easiest thing you can do as driver...
Look Twice... really. Use it as a cyclist too.
And for cyclists...
Of course it would vastly help if driving instruction also included some time on bicycles, just to give a new driver some road perspective.
A glance is never enough. You need to be as methodical and deliberate as a fighter pilot would be. Focus on at least 3 different spots along the road to the right and left. Search close, middle-distance and far. With practise, this can be accomplished quickly, and each pause is only for a fraction of a second. Fighter pilots call this a “lookout scan” and it is vital to their survival.
Always look right and left at least twice. This doubles your chance of seeing a vehicle.
Always look right and left at least twice. This doubles your chance of seeing a vehicle.
And for cyclists...
Increasing your contrast helps you be seen. Think flashing bike lights. Also, remember the importance of good road positioning.
#3
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I particularly liked
when I drove cab, I got into the habit of "bobbing" my head around while looking about.
I also looked for others who did - or did not - do the same
Make a point of looking next to the windscreen pillars. Better still, lean forward slightly as you look right and left so that you are looking around the door pillars. Be aware that the pillar nearest to you blocks more of your vision. Fighter pilots say ‘Move your head – or you’re dead’.
I also looked for others who did - or did not - do the same
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a driver is very unlikely to change their behaviour.
#6
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So indeed I have no issue with teaching cycling. I see it as part of a much larger program.
#7
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Frankly I think cycling and driving should both be taught as part of the regular public school curricula... first the basics (road rules), then cycling in traffic, and finally driving...
So indeed I have no issue with teaching cycling. I see it as part of a much larger program.
So indeed I have no issue with teaching cycling. I see it as part of a much larger program.
Perhaps if more motorists rode bicycles more often, there'd be fewer problems between motorists and cyclists.
Last edited by closetbiker; 11-07-12 at 05:07 PM.
#8
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I agree with Genec that driving and cycling should be taught in Drivers Ed, but not just the classroom part. Get them out on the road on bicycles, too. The drawback I envision would be any police officers that tell cyclists to stay on the edge of the road might be teaching the class.
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Good quotes in the insert, but that high contrast clothing needs to be a solid color. A patterned jersey against a varied background is called "camouflage".
I agree with Genec that driving and cycling should be taught in Drivers Ed, but not just the classroom part. Get them out on the road on bicycles, too. The drawback I envision would be any police officers that tell cyclists to stay on the edge of the road might be teaching the class.
I agree with Genec that driving and cycling should be taught in Drivers Ed, but not just the classroom part. Get them out on the road on bicycles, too. The drawback I envision would be any police officers that tell cyclists to stay on the edge of the road might be teaching the class.
But if by pattern one means something with gracefully curved lines or worse a print that is a picture of some sort I agree.
#10
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I'm a better driver for having rode motorcycles and bicycles. The habit of scanning periodically for danger as a less-protected road user translates into being a less dangerous, more aware more-protected road user.
Well, that and, "Ooo, look! Something single-track with two wheels! What is it???"
Well, that and, "Ooo, look! Something single-track with two wheels! What is it???"
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I'm a better driver for having rode motorcycles and bicycles. The habit of scanning periodically for danger as a less-protected road user translates into being a less dangerous, more aware more-protected road user.
Well, that and, "Ooo, look! Something single-track with two wheels! What is it???"
Well, that and, "Ooo, look! Something single-track with two wheels! What is it???"
And of course as a cyclist I make sure I give cyclists lots of room.
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#16
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^^^^ Yep. ^^^^ My roommate bought her daughter a bike this summer. When sending her off on her first ride, she stressed to always ride facing traffic. I tried to explain why that was a bad idea but she would not believe me. When I showed her the city's web page for cycling that said to ride with traffic, she said that they were wrong as well. **********?
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^^^^ Yep. ^^^^ My roommate bought her daughter a bike this summer. When sending her off on her first ride, she stressed to always ride facing traffic. I tried to explain why that was a bad idea but she would not believe me. When I showed her the city's web page for cycling that said to ride with traffic, she said that they were wrong as well. **********?
This is where an outside "teacher" comes in best. And this same generational bad habit situation also occurs for drivers... which is why new drivers also need better training than "mom and dad. As a whole this nation could use vastly better road use training. Who knows, we may even be able to cut road deaths in half.
Even driving instructors tend to emphasize "flow" over safety... They mention safety, and then emphasize flow... so we get the big "trains" of motorists driving too fast and too close... two bad habits.
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^^^^ Yep. ^^^^ My roommate bought her daughter a bike this summer. When sending her off on her first ride, she stressed to always ride facing traffic. I tried to explain why that was a bad idea but she would not believe me. When I showed her the city's web page for cycling that said to ride with traffic, she said that they were wrong as well. **********?
Given time, natural selection will take care of such issues.
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^^^^ Yep. ^^^^ My roommate bought her daughter a bike this summer. When sending her off on her first ride, she stressed to always ride facing traffic. I tried to explain why that was a bad idea but she would not believe me. When I showed her the city's web page for cycling that said to ride with traffic, she said that they were wrong as well. **********?
No promise it will work, in fact I'll bet it won;t work quickly, but it might get them thinking.
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Only at lower speeds, which is one reason we should be greatful cars are capable of great speed and drivers think nothing of speeding... Of course my original comment was concerning salmons mostly...
#23
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https://www.hbl.org/bikeed
BikeEd
• 4-day on-road bicycling safety course taught by HBL instructors.
• Over 90,000 4th grade students completed HBL BikeEd.
Waiting for the typical BF fools that love to disrespect this training.
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Last edited by CB HI; 11-08-12 at 10:47 PM.
#24
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Have you already forgotten that some advocacy groups actual get off there ass and do something about it. This program goes to the schools rather than just hoping kids show up at bike rodeos.
https://www.hbl.org/bikeed
BikeEd
• 4-day on-road bicycling safety course taught by HBL instructors.
• Over 90,000 4th grade students completed HBL BikeEd.
Waiting for the typical BF fools that love to disrespect this training.
https://www.hbl.org/bikeed
BikeEd
• 4-day on-road bicycling safety course taught by HBL instructors.
• Over 90,000 4th grade students completed HBL BikeEd.
Waiting for the typical BF fools that love to disrespect this training.
It does look like a good program. I especially liked the activities for parents. Are they collecting any data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program?
There is a copy-cat here in Eugene that is poorly done. Unfortunately, it is taught by people who are some of the worst riders I have ever seen. However, at least it allows children to ride bikes under some level of supervision. Sadly, someone stole the trailer full of bikes that they use for the program a couple weeks ago, so the bikeless children are locked out for a while.
#25
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I don't know if this qualifies as disrespecting the training, but one of the items mentioned was road position. Your link said they teach the children to ride two to three feet from parked cars. Please tell me I'm either misreading this or that the cars in HI have much shorter doors than they do in the lesser 48.
The program was started so long ago, that no one really thought about before and after data. They keep numbers on how many of the kids went through the program. Many mainland cyclist complain about kids being the ones that harass cyclist. My experience here is that the kids of the age that they would have taken the training are respectful of cyclist. With one exception, all my problem motorist have been too old to have gone through the training program.
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