The SMIDSY

[Buffalo]

Saw this on the Maxi-scooter board and though it would be good to post here.

Crash Course - The SMIDSY


I started using the side to side weave he talks about a while back and it does seem to get peoples attention faster than things like flashing the lights up and down.

[bigfoot]

This might be a good crash avoidance maneuver.
It certainly won't hurt.

I will usually favor the middle of the road (tire track closest to the centerline) and most importantly, I watch for wheel/tire rotation on the suspect vehicle.
If/when the tire starts rolling, I am covering the brakes, off the accelerator, and prepared to make an emergency maneuver.
Eye contact is for parking lot maneuvers, not high speed street avoidance.

[papaburger]

Agree with Bigfoot and watch the things he watches. I also use the weaving manuever to get drivers following to close to back off. Used it on my first ride this year when a Honda civic got too close, the're not used to seeing us this early in the spring..

[Daboo]

Even though he makes the comment about the hi-vis jackets blending in, they stand out far better than a black riding outfit on a narrow motorcycle.

Which shows up better? The rider dressed totally in black...and in front? Or the rider farther away with a hi-vis yellow vest and light coloured helmet?

Untitled.jpg (99.38 KiB) Viewed 1074 times

He makes a good point that it is our responsibility to do what we can to be seen.

Chris

[Buffalo]

I think his point was that at a distance the hi vis stuff doesn't really show up any better. It's only when you get up close like in that picture that it makes a difference.

[ErikDK]

The windshield effectively covers up the hi-vis vest.

[paulcbrowne]

I've used the "wiggle" for years to get cage drivers' attention and it really does work. I discovered this on my own, but glad to see that others confirm this maneuver. It's not one magic bullet. It takes lots of little things to simply up your odds of avoiding a crash. High-Viz gets some %. Extra lights another %. White or silver helmet and other %. I looks at any of these things as additives that up your odds in your favor. BTW, running high beams aren't such a good idea; they make you brighter but throw off a cage driver's ability to judge your distance.

Another trick, since someone mentioned someone following too close is to stand up, yes, stand up. If you've ever done any off-roading, this is natural; but I suggest it with caution if you haven't done it before. I've found that this works every time, and it's great for cooling off on a hot day.

[Wes_Ingram]

I just got some Street-Glo decals for my helmet and some for the Burger, I hope it helps.

[Daboo]

I went for a ride this past summer with a guy who rode one of the big Kawasaki equivalents to a Gold Wing. From the rear, you could hardly see anything of him because of the top box. But what I could see from any angle was that helmet he had. It is the Scorpion EXO-900 in the hi-vis yellow. That afternoon I dropped my Nolan in some sharp gravel and so went out looking for a new helmet. The visibility of that helmet from far off so impressed me that I knew the new helmet had to be the same colour.

Chris

[NormanB]

The point he is making is that shapes must be recognisable during the cursory glance a car driver uses before pulling out.
The high vis colour is certainly visible but it breaks up the shape of the human form and depending on the background it is viewed against, can successfully act as camouflage. After all that is the underpinning theory of 'disrupting patterns' that is central to camouflage.

[tomfelock]

ONly problem? Police officers thinking that maybe you are DUI. I actually had this happen to me when I had a 49cc scooter. On one lane roads, I would move to the very side of the road to let others with faster vehicles pass me, If they didn't I would move back to the center of the road. Had to take a breath test even! Luckily, i had no alcohol in me ( I very rarely drink and never drink before driving my Burgie) I am considering installing a flag on the rear of my 400, as I have noticed that when I am in my cage, I always notice flags on other bikes.

[cactuspwr]

Even though he makes the comment about the hi-vis jackets blending in, they stand out far better than a black riding outfit on a narrow motorcycle.

The windshield effectively covers up the hi-vis vest.

I fixed this problem. My jacket is full Hi-Vi (sleeves include) at 98%. You see me far away.

I just got some Street-Glo decals for my helmet and some for the Burger, I hope it helps.

To be effective a reflective band should be at least 2" wide to be visible at 100'. More the bands are wide, the more its visible form a distance.

[cactuspwr]

revenge of a biker?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=masAsJeyIVQ

[Daboo]

A few years ago, I watched a rider come up from behind me on the freeway who was wearing a hi-vis florescent yellow vest. I saw him way back in the traffic, because he stood out so well. I was getting off the freeway and stuck in a backup so I could watch him as he proceeded on. He finally went out of sight about half a mile ahead as he went around a bend, and till then I could see him clearly.

I've watched on the side roads as drivers will pull up to a stop sign ahead and they look like they are ready to go immediately. The one I have in mind is a woman in a mini-van who was talking on her cell phone. She looked like if she stopped, it would only be for a second at the most. And then I could see her face as she locked on to me, and she stopped and waited. Without the hi-vis vest, I think we would've had one of those situations we all read about where the driver pulled out and the rider had to grab the brakes hard.

I'm only up to my second set of fingers (7 times?) in counting how many times I've had to hit the brakes hard in around 60,000 miles and the last four years. Something is working, and I think a large part of that is making a very concerted effort to be seen.

Chris

[jenkins]

+10!!

Jim

[Old-n-slow]

There has been a large amount of research over the years relating to color, movement and human perceptions and that video touches on a couple of points that all two wheel riders should think about relating to being seen. So, a couple of items for thought based on what I remember about this stuff.

1. Light, bright colors are more readily visible than dark colors at the same distance. Additionally, the more of the light, bright color that is presented the further away you will be seen. The optimal solution would seem to be to have a large amount of plastic in a light, bright color and wear clothing and a helmet in the same light, bright color. That would present the largest possible amount of color to anyone looking in your direction.

2. If you are approaching in a straight line someone who is stationary you will seem to be nearly stationary, too. Over time you will appear to get bigger and nearer, but at a glance you will not appear to be moving.

3. Human visual perception is attuned to detecting movement. Without apparent movement everything is background. In order to stand out from the background while riding you must appear to be moving. Approaching in a straight line does not present the appearance of movement, but weaving does and makes you more noticeable against the rest of the background. Weaving also causes your headlights to flicker as you go from side-to-side making you even more obvious.

So, if you have a large amount of a light, bright color about you and weave in your lane you increase your chances of being seen.

Along the same line of thought you might try changing your position within your lane, left, right center, a few times a minute as you go down those straight stretches of road. That can also make you more noticeable to whoever is behind you. You don't want to be rear ended because the cage driver behind you was focused on the next cage in front and not on you.

[gvjack]

I went one better than a high visibility jacket. I painted my Burgman a high visibility color. By taking of the panels off myself I got what I consider a very good paint job for $500.00. in all our club photo's there is one scooter that always stands out!

[convertfromVespa]

I saw a biker get cut off on the highway yesterday and he did the SMIDSY. My only problem with what he did was that if the driver that cut him off had to stop, he would be in mid turn.

I think the driver did see him but acted selfishly. No matter how much SMIDSY you do, you won't get his acknowledgement that you were there.

I am apparently fairly visible, as people tend to shift out of my lane as I approach them.

[convertfromVespa]

I went one better than a high visibility jacket. I painted my Burgman a high visibility color. By taking of the panels off myself I got what I consider a very good paint job for $500.00. in all our club photo's there is one scooter that always stands out!

That is one "bright" scooter.

[greenyaris]

I'm only up to my second set of fingers (7 times?) in counting how many times I've had to hit the brakes hard in around 60,000 miles and the last four years. Something is working, and I think a large part of that is making a very concerted effort to be seen.

Chris

+10 for what you said but also from your scrip, your anticipation, awareness and observational skills are top class. Once I had been trained to become an advanced rider and driver, I soon realised as I practised my new skills that the heavy braking/emergency stops faded into distant memory. There was no need for it; I was already slowing down, altering direction well before the other party/driver had realised they were heading into problem land.
Remember " you are the fly...everyone else is a potential fly swat"

[Scootereno]

+1 on weaving to get noticed. I use it a lot!

[Marv]

I've used the "wiggle" for years to get cage drivers' attention and it really does work. I discovered this on my own, but glad to see that others confirm this maneuver. It's not one magic bullet. It takes lots of little things to simply up your odds of avoiding a crash. High-Viz gets some %. Extra lights another %. White or silver helmet and other %. I looks at any of these things as additives that up your odds in your favor. BTW, running high beams aren't such a good idea; they make you brighter but throw off a cage driver's ability to judge your distance.

Another trick, since someone mentioned someone following too close is to stand up, yes, stand up. If you've ever done any off-roading, this is natural; but I suggest it with caution if you haven't done it before. I've found that this works every time, and it's great for cooling off on a hot day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In regards to high visibility how about modulating head lights. In daylight the lights can attract the eye in the same way as wiggleing.

I'm a new owner of a 650 and am installing modulating head lights and a LED modulated stop light under the licence plate.

Marv

[Daboo]

Another SMIDSY video, well worth watching.

A Day Out In Devon - SMIDSY, a bikers revenge


Chris

[Daboo]

Something I've noticed, is the new Olympia GT Air Transitions jacket works for visibility, especially when combined with the Scorpion EXO-900 helmet in "don't hit me" yellow.

At first, I thought it wouldn't be that good. After all, it isn't solid hi-vis yellow. But I think the contrast of hi-vis yellow against the gray and black makes it stand out even better than the yellow vest I used to wear.

Chris