How does visibility affect motorcyclist safety?
Motorcyclists within California and across the board have a lot to say about visibility issues. Exactly what helps increase visibility? How much does increased visibility help you when it comes to combating the chances of being involved in a crash?
DrivingTests.org takes a look at the necessity of motorcyclists wearing high visibility clothing. They start by sharing that your chances of getting involved in a crash goes down by up to 37 percent if you are wearing bright, florescent or reflective clothing. Other additions that don’t involve what you wear include using a bright headlight and putting visibility aids on your motorcycle as well, such as reflective strips or stickers.
On the other hand, if you are not visible to other drivers, your chance of experiencing a crash goes up. This is simply an unfortunate side-effect of the size of your vehicle. Larger covered vehicles have drivers that are often prepared to deal with vehicles their own size or larger. Many forget that they share the road with motorcyclists as well. This can cause them to overlook you accidentally when doing cursory checks in their mirrors to ensure no one is around before turning, changing lanes, and so on.
Other aspects can also severely hamper a driver’s ability to see you. This includes the time of day at which you are driving, and the weather you’re driving in. For example, it’s even harder for drivers to spot you at night or on a rainy day, which can increase your chances of being hit. Precautions can also be taken to combat this, however.