JusticeZero

I know the basic idea behind the "Start seeing ___" messages, but does anyone know what specific principles and psychological research it is attempting to trigger exactly? I'm sure i've read it somewhere and I can't put my hand on it.

Myosmith

I haven't seen any research papers on that specific subject, but I'm thinking that it has to do with the principle of refreshing neural pathways. In layman's terms you are trying to keep bicycles/cyclists fresh in the minds of drivers by posting a simple message where it is likely to be seen often. The principle would be similar to someone driving in a rural area not really thinking about deer then suddenly having one cross the road in front of them. From that point on their vigilance will be heightened for a time as they become much more aware of the ditches and tree lines along the road. The hope is that a motorist will see the "Start Seeing Bicycles" message and will it will stick long enough that they will check their mirrors and look for bikes at least for a few miles. If they see the message and repeat the action often enough, the neural pathways involved become well engrained. It's one of the reasons that I smile, nod and/or wave at motorists with whom I make eye contact. It helps engrain cyclists as part of the road using community in their minds rather than allowing them to ignore or look right through me.

DX-MAN

Couldn't begin to speak to the physiology of it, but it seems to me to be a nicer way to tell motorists, "STOP BEING SUCH A SELFISH A**####!"

I-Like-To-Bike

Where are "Start seeing bicycles" messages found?

JusticeZero

I've seen a few bumper stickers and t-shirts marked that way. It might just be one of the bike shops doing it, to follow the "Start seeing motorcycles" thing.

I-Like-To-Bike

Never saw the "Start seeing motorcycles" thing either. Maybe it is a local safety campaign.

squirtdad

This is not specific but shows some of the tricks you mind plays with vision. It seems that in many cases if the brain is not expecting to see something it does not.

short quote:
Though we have five different senses, almost a third of your brain is devoted to vision. That’s because sight plays a particularly crucial role in helping you to make sense of the reality around us and perform the myriad activities of our daily lives. Your eyes and your brain work together to make sense of a vast, continual stream of visual information. To cope with that demand, the human brain has developed various tricks and shortcuts that enable us to quickly do everything from recognize other people’s faces, to the position

and relative size of the objects around us



https://braingames.nationalgeographic.com/episode/8/

JusticeZero

I'm pretty aware of perception issues in general. Less so about that particular one.

B. Carfree

Gee whiz, I Like TB, you need to get out of Iowa more. "Start Seeing Motorcycles" bumper stickers and T-shirts have been pretty common all over the West Coast for a couple of decades or more. Clearly it's also common enough along the Gulf for the OP to have noticed them.

Oh wait, I recall that you did spend a bit of time outside Iowa in recent years. Maybe next time you can get a gig stateside and enjoy all these bumper stickers you've been missing.

Myosmith

Maybe they need a "Start Seeing Bumper Stickers" campaign.

Far from a local campaign, it was started in Illinois in the 1980s and is endorsed by the Traffic Safety Administrations in most states. It has gone international and goes far beyond bumper stickers and t-shirts. There have been television and radio ads, billboards, yard signs, multiple websites, and it inspired several states to pass laws that turn a statement of "I didn't see him" into an admission of guilt for improper care in operating a motor vehicle, rather than a defense. While I don't see the slogan as often now as I did in the 1990s, when it was all over the place, it is still quite common.