Traffic Tactics: Left-Turning Vehicles

[Barnaby Wilde]

Hi Guys,

I am reading a book titled, "The Invisible Gorilla", by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. The book is about how our brains limit our ability to see or hear events, and carries on on how memory is also quite fallible.

The "invisible gorilla" refers to a psychological experiment where a person with a gorilla suit is able to enter a scene of a videoed basketball "game", and half the people who view the video (given the task to count passes) do not even see/notice the appearance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

The writers devote several pages on the issue of why car drivers turn into motorcycles (and bicyclist/pedestrians...). Basically, the drivers have "inattentive blindness" and do not see motorcyclists, even when you have your headlights on or are wearing bright clothing. You have become the "invisible gorilla"...

Interesting reading, and quite thought provoking. As motorcyclists, you cannot make any assumptions that you have been seen.

Harry

 

[iehawk]

Yup.

I personally believe the only way we can make the road safer is to raise the level of awareness and education.

The DMV test is a joke... both for car and motorcycle. They don't reflect the real world situation at all, literally just a formality.

They should make it so much more thorough and make people pay for it. Not that it has to be expensive, but when people pay more than a pocket change for it, they tend to take it a bit more seriously. After all driving/riding is a privilege, not a right.

That's another psychological thing. Not many of us would pick up pennies from the ground, but when it's $1, $5, or $20... different story.

 

[MCSFTGUY]

As it attacks prey, a dragonfly hides itself by flying in a straight line directly toward the victim, so it looks like a stationary object in the background. The same effect can make a motorcycle go unnoticed in traffic.

Duncan MacKillop, the riding instructor who related motion camouflage to motorcycling, suggests that diverging from a direct line of sight will break the camouflage and get the driver's attention:

I observed a smooth, gentle, single, zigzag motion, at any point along the line, created a rapid edge movement against the background and destroyed the motion camouflage. Drivers' eyes snapped towards me and they froze the movement I swept left to right and back again.​

Good Stuff Dan!

However, I have to tell you that I am not a big fan of the motion camoflouge theory. There is a big difference in the shape of a Dragon-fly's body as compared to a motorcycle. Smooth tapering cylinder as compared to a jagged edge machine that with rider has a large over all field of displacement. And, the roadway doesn't allow us to maintain the same visual background.

However, the part about the gentle weaving in the lane is always a great idea. It is not so much that it changes you view with the background in as much as it increases the apparent angular size of the approaching motorcycle.

Part two... I will have to admit to a little bias on this. I absolutely hate giving the driving public any kind of excuse for not seeing an approaching motorcycle. I have been listening for a lot of years to riders talking about drivers and telling them they have to see us. IMHO, drivers don't see because they don't look and/or are distacted and the I didn't see the motorcycle is an excuse that has been around for so long they fall back on it in order to try and provide an excuse for they inattention.

So, I will always be looking to try and take this "excuse" away from a driver, be it through a gentle weaving back and forth in the lane, to showing that the angular displacement of a bike and rider is too big for this excuse to fly.

Thanks Dan.....

 

[DataDan]

Obstructed sightlines--3 recent crashes

While some left-turner crashes are caused by drivers who simply don't see a motorcycle in plain view at predictable speed, in others (as you probably know if you've followed this thread) the sightline between rider and driver is blocked by intervening vehicles. That may not absolve the left-turning driver of responsibility for the crash, but it certainly identifies a hazardous situation a rider can learn to recognize and react to.

In the past week, three motorcyclists have lost their lives in crashes where the sightline between the rider and a left-turner was blocked by traffic between them. These tragic events show how crucial it is to be able to anticipate situations where a threat can go unseen until it's too late.

• In the Bay Area, a rider approaches an uncontrolled intersection in the #3 lane. The #1 and #2 are stopped due to heavy traffic ahead, but the #3 is clear because it becomes a right-turn lane in the next block. The stopped vehicles have left the intersection open (as required by California's anti-gridlock law), and an oncoming pickup begins to turn left. But the driver fails to check for traffic in the #3 and crosses the motorcycle's path, leaving the rider no time to react.
  
  
• In San Bernardino County, a rider approaches an intersection in the #3 lane while traffic in the #1 and #2 is still stopped for the red light. Timing his approach perfectly, he passes the stopped vehicles when the light turns green. But an oncoming driver--who has either run the red or cut it very close--is completing a left turn just as the motorcycle enters the intersection.
  
  
• In Pennsylvania, two lanes of traffic are coming to a stop at an intersection as the light turns yellow. A motorcyclist splits between the two lanes and accelerates through. But an oncoming vehicle turning left on the yellow crosses in front of the motorcycle.

When an adjacent lane obstructs the view to a potential threat, but a gap in that lane permits traffic to cross, slow down and approach the area of vulnerability carefully. Assume there is a crossing vehicle until you can clearly see that there is not.

 

[DataDan]

This just in: Another obstructed sightline

A similar crash occurred in the Bay Area this morning, fortunately with only moderate injuries to the rider.

• On a road with one lane in each direction plus a center turn lane, westbound traffic is stopped at a light ahead. A motorcyclist is using the center lane to pass the stopped traffic and reach the left-turn lane at the upcoming intersection. But a driver in the westbound thru lane leaves open a gap so an SUV exiting a driveway on the right can cross into the eastbound lane. The SUV crosses the center lane just ahead of the motorcycle, and the two collide.

 

[RRrider]

on motion camo theory, the human eye/mind is hard wired to notice motion, so I am compelled by Data Dan's slow weave suggestion...create edge motion against what could otherwise be a "constant" background. Cool idea, and I'm going to start trying it.

That said, if you subscribe to the "subconscious mind, when processing quickly, filters out anything not considered a threat" theory, then even if the edge motion increases the initial detection, the "posed threat" filter subsequently drops it. Take away, do what you can to be noticed, but always ride as if they can't see you. Empirically, they seem not to.

 

[iehawk]

+1 on the slow weave suggestion.

I've been doing as far as not staying statically in reference with other vehicles in traffic. I tend to move through, left and right on my lane (or on rare occasion hang back). Never stay statically.

I also don't ride (or drive) behind a car, in front of a car, or next to a car (or any other vehicles)... for too long. Got the idea from watching the first Jurassic Park, when they talked about how the T-Rex's vision is based on motion.

Fingers crossed, so far it works great.

 

[Maize and Blue]

Obstructed sightlines:

Sadly I've watched 2 of these in action. I was riding behind a car in both situations and I slowed as we approached a stalled green with traffic stopped in #1 and 2 lanes. The car in front of me got hit both times by another car turning left. Scary.

 

[DataDan]

Obstructed sightlines:

Sadly I've watched 2 of these in action. I was riding behind a car in both situations and I slowed as we approached a stalled green with traffic stopped in #1 and 2 lanes. The car in front of me got hit both times by another car turning left. Scary.

That's an important point. Some motorcyclists think that bikes are involved in crashes--and, in particular, left-turner crashes--only because they are motorcycles. The assumption is that drivers aren't looking for motorcycles, don't care about them, or whatever. In fact, motorcycles are often involved simply because they happened to be in the wrong place when a cager pulls a bonehead move. It could be a pedestrian, another car, an SUV, a cement mixer, or a fire engine rolling code 3, and the collision would still occur. The big difference when it's a bike is the injuries the rider is likely to suffer.

 

[RRrider]

Ahhhh...the best education comes from Hollywood :rofl. Tool true

+1 on the slow weave suggestion.

I've been doing as far as not staying statically in reference with other vehicles in traffic. I tend to move through, left and right on my lane (or on rare occasion hang back). Never stay statically.

I also don't ride (or drive) behind a car, in front of a car, or next to a car (or any other vehicles)... for too long. Got the idea from watching the first Jurassic Park, when they talked about how the T-Rex's vision is based on motion.

Fingers crossed, so far it works great.

 

[kurth83]

passing on right

That lane #1, 2, 3 thing is scary.

When I taught my son to drive a car (aided by courses)
two of the things I stressed were:

1) never make sudden moves that others around you don't expect,
drive slowly and predictably at all times.
There are old people driving whose reaction times are only slightly
faster than glacial ice, who if startled will run over trashcans, animals, and
baby stollers, and ...
2) never scream past a line of stopped cars because
inevitably someone will pull out in front of you at 2 mph.

I admit I never thought of the left turn thing until the MSF,
but the same principle applies.

I always thought it was obvious to not out significantly outspeed traffic
in adjacent lanes.

The irony is after all that, I now commute (in my car) in the carpool lane where
speed differentials can be 50mph or higher, it is terrifying to me actually.
Thus far I have not been cut off, but it is only a matter of time.

And next year I am planning to do it on a bike.
The nice thing about 280 north is the emergency lane on the left is wider than
carpool lane #1, lots of room to avoid being cut off.

 

[GirlCurves]

Every left turn driver i see up ahead makes me think about this...i usually always make a swerving motion back and forth slightly to get the drivers attention with my headlight. It helps the drivers determine my distance better i gather too.

I do the same thing through the dicey areas of Quito Rd before Lawrence NB in the mornings. Cars tend to hide me as I'm trailing behind them, and swerving back and forth helps cars entering and exiting Quito know that I am there.

 

[GirlCurves]

Dan's post is excellent. Thank you! Great information here!

 

[GirlCurves]

I use that technique as well. I already planned my explanation for it, in case I'm pulled over...

"I use this maneuver to make sure I'm noticed. You noticed me, didn't you?"

Excellent! :thumbup

 

[GirlCurves]

Nice thread.

5. Newbies: travel along grease/oil free zones of your lane.

This is also crucial. That grease is slippery and dangerous and can lead to disaster if a quick stop is required... slide! I've learned to stay to the left as often as possible unless the gentle zig-zag is needed. However, on a freeway in the carpool lane with traffic in front and to my right, I stay more to the right of the grease/oil zone so I can see what's coming up ahead of me.

 

[DataDan]

I do the same thing through the dicey areas of Quito Rd before Lawrence NB in the mornings. Cars tend to hide me as I'm trailing behind them, and swerving back and forth helps cars entering and exiting Quito know that I am there.

Being hidden behind another vehicle where an oncoming left-turner or driver crossing from the left or right can't see you is often a problem (as discussed in this thread). But swerving to break motion camouflage can't help very much if the line of sight is obstructed. A better tactic is to position yourself to open up the sightline.

Have you thought about how you can increase following distance and choose lateral lane position to improve your visibility to other drivers?

 

[GirlCurves]

Being hidden behind another vehicle where an oncoming left-turner or driver crossing from the left or right can't see you is often a problem (as discussed in this thread). But swerving to break motion camouflage can't help very much if the line of sight is obstructed. A better tactic is to position yourself to open up the sightline.

Have you thought about how you can increase following distance and choose lateral lane position to improve your visibility to other drivers?

It does help some, but when there are people trying to do left and right-turners on either side in front of me at the same time, I admit I'm at a loss as to how much more I can do to make myself more visible. I ride a bright orange bike, wear a bright orange helmet, use high-beams, weave where I know they can't see me coming when I'm behind cars, increasing following distance and covering the brakes not to mention slowing down and keeping very alert yet-relaxed so that I can react rather than panic. I am open to additional suggestions, as this is a little beyond your original thread (i.e., left-turners.)

 

[DataDan]

It does help some, but when there are people trying to do left and right-turners on either side in front of me at the same time, I admit I'm at a loss as to how much more I can do to make myself more visible. I ride a bright orange bike, wear a bright orange helmet, use high-beams, weave where I know they can't see me coming when I'm behind cars, increasing following distance and covering the brakes not to mention slowing down and keeping very alert yet-relaxed so that I can react rather than panic. I am open to additional suggestions, as this is a little beyond your original thread (i.e., left-turners.)

The bright colors and the headlight make you more easily seen when you are in view of another motorist. But if you are hidden from view--due to terrain, stationary objects (including parked cars), or moving vehicles--they are of no help. You need to take action to put yourself in the line of sight.

When the threat is on one side only, move to that side to get out from behind the intervening vehicle. But when there are threats on both sides, you have to drop back far enough to make sure you're seen by both.

The closer you're following behind another vehicle, the harder you are to see. To take an extreme case, suppose you're following 30ft behind an 8ft-wide FedEx van (less than 1 second following distance at 25mph). Your sightline is blocked over 15 degrees of your visual field, and you can't see crossing or oncoming vehicles even 200ft ahead--and they can't see you. A driver trying to cross behind the van could easily take you out simply because he couldn't see you tucked in behind the van. But by dropping back to 90ft (2.5 seconds), you gain hundreds of feet of forward visibility. You can see the threats and they can see you. Your bright orange motorcycle and helmet are now in view.

 

[GirlCurves]

when there are threats on both sides, you have to drop back far enough to make sure you're seen by both.

The closer you're following behind another vehicle, the harder you are to see. To take an extreme case, suppose you're following 30ft behind an 8ft-wide FedEx van (less than 1 second following distance at 25mph). Your sightline is blocked over 15 degrees of your visual field, and you can't see crossing or oncoming vehicles even 200ft ahead--and they can't see you. A driver trying to cross behind the van could easily take you out simply because he couldn't see you tucked in behind the van. But by dropping back to 90ft (2.5 seconds), you gain hundreds of feet of forward visibility. You can see the threats and they can see you. Your bright orange motorcycle and helmet are now in view.

Dan - thanks for taking the time to go in-depth on this subject. I appreciate it. I guess I was not really seeing "the forest for the trees" on this one. Dropping back farther makes sense so that cross traffic can see me and so I can gain visibility as well. Then there is just that fine line we all walk (or ride) where dropping back a little too far gives the drivers the impression that they have time to dart out and cross in front of us. Therein lies the rub I suppose. Finding the right distance to be visible while not falling too far back... Excellent stuff really! Thanks again! :thumbup

 

[DataDan]

Simultaneous left turns

An ongoing theme in this thread is the different ways a motorcycle can collide with a left-turning vehicle, some obvious and others unexpected. Here is another variation that requires its own awareness and tactics.


When we hear that a motorcycle has been hit by a left-turner, we usually think of a typical scenario: The motorcycle is going straight, at reasonable speed and in full view of an oncoming vehicle waiting to turn, yet the driver pulls out anyway, leaving the rider nowhere to go. The tactic generally recommended by the riding community is bright lights and bright colors. 1Rider recommends, in addition, that you slow down, cover the brake, and move away from the threat to make a crash easier to avoid if the vehicle turns in spite of your pulsating headlights and neon pink leathers. The danger is easy to anticipate (if not always easy to prevent) because the vehicle is dead center in the rider's field of vision.

More difficult to anticipate are scenarios where the threat isn't easily seen. When a left-turning vehicle may be hidden by terrain, stationary objects, or other vehicles, it is the rider's experience that tells him where to look and how to react. A threat is also harder to anticipate when more urgent needs demand the rider's attention. In this example, a motorcyclist focused on making a left turn across oncoming traffic fails to notice another left-turner just beyond the intersection.




At the location above, a motorcyclist northbound on Harbor with a green light waits to turn left, looking for a gap in southbound traffic. As he turns, a car exits the 7-11 parking lot on the northwest corner, turning left from the south driveway. Driver and rider see no interfering traffic and begin their turns simultaneously, but as they do, each becomes interfering traffic to the other, and the two collide in the westbound lanes. The rider said it happened so fast, he didn't even know how it happened until witnesses told him. In a similar crash at a different location the rider saw the car before impact but hadn't seen it pull out--it was just there.

The surprised reactions of the two riders suggest that tactics for prevention must begin with expectation of the threat. Knowing what can happen will help you to make sure it doesn't. The MSF's SEE strategy--Search for threats, Evaluate them and plan for contingencies, Execute your plan--will help you identify and react effectively to the threat. Before turning, your primary focus is on oncoming traffic of course, but you may also have brief opportunities to glance to your left and look for hazards. As you turn, your search focuses on the destination street, looking for vehicles that could cross from the left or right or pull into your lane from the curb. Be prepared to brake or swerve as necessary should a vehicle pull out in front of you.

Another key tactic here is cautious acceleration after completing the turn. A driver exiting the parking lot will have his attention divided between traffic from the left (you), from the right, and maybe even from the residential street to the south--not a lot of time looking in your direction. Keep speed down to give yourself the time you need to identify potential threats and make it easier for them to see you as well.