‘Science Of Being Seen’ (SOBS) – an in-depth investigation of the most common motorcycle crash of all – the ‘Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You’ or ‘SMIDSY’ collision.

WHAT IS SOBS?

Science Of Being Seen (SOBS) looks at a very simple motorcycle safety issue – just why it might be that motorcycles aren’t seen by other road users as they approach junctions and intersections. The aim is to offer motorcyclists and drivers (and road safety practitioners too) a better understanding of how, where and why these collisions happen, and to give riders some simple and practical strategies for staying out of trouble, and to offer drivers some help to avoid making the error in the first place.

Although I’d been investigating the likely causes of the SMIDSY collision for many years, as well as suggesting some avoidance techniques to riders, the ‘Science Of Being Seen’ presentation was originally created by myself (Kevin Williams MSc) over the winter of 2011-2012 as the third ‘accident prevention’ module of Kent Fire & Rescue’s pilot ‘Biker Down’ course. SOBS explores a range of problems: 

:: ‘looked but COULD NOT see’ collisions, where for various reasons – including ‘beam blindness’ and the ‘constant bearing issue’ – it was physically impossible for the driver to see the motorcycle in the run up to the crash
:: ‘looked but FAILED TO see’ collisions, where the bike was in a place it could be seen but visual perception issues meant that the driver failed to spot the bike
:: ‘looked, SAW AND FORGOT’ collisions where short term visual memory and workload issues meant that the driver was likely to have seen the bike but mentally lost track of it
:: ‘looked, SAW AND MISJUDGED speed and distance’ collisions, which tend to happen on faster roads

SOBS takes an objective look at the effectiveness or otherwise of the usual ‘passive safety’ conspicuity aids – hi-vis clothing and day-riding lights (DRLs) – before suggesting some general rules to make them more effective.

Finally, SOBS looks at how motorcyclists can use pro-active techniques to avoid being caught up in a SMIDY collision. 

WHERE NEXT? I recommend you begin with the first Introduction page

From there, you can follow the pages in order by clicking on the blue and white arrow icon. Try it here.

Or, you can read a little more about the way the SOBS project was put together, and is currently used by scrolling down this page.

Science-based – SOBS was created to solve a practical riding problem – the SMIDSY collision – but is based firmly on scientific research into these crashes, a body of data extending back into the 1970s. The SOBS website is open to all, regularly updated and provides the background to the presentation, including offering full references for my work. 

Regularly updated – new studies continue to emerge and the talk has been updated regularly to reflect the latest thinking such as new studies on lighting arrangements to cope with the widespread use of day-running lights on cars, and the ‘looked, saw but forgot’ theory that appeared in the literature as recently as 2018. 

Award-winning – as well as an insurance industry award for Biker Down, our team at Kent was honoured with a Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award which we collected at the Savoy Hotel in London in November 2012.

Used nationally – As more and more fire services across the UK adopted Biker Down, a stripped-down version of SOBS has been used as the third module on many of these courses, right up to the moment courses were shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I personally continued to deliver SOBS to audience of motorcyclists at Rochester in Kent for KFRS until my final presentation in February 2020.

Going international – SOBS has also gained international recognition. In 2018 and 2019 I was one of a team of international speakers on the nationwide Shiny Side Up rider safety initiative in New Zealand, travelling around the country to visit over a dozen venues on each occasion. In 2021, I was a virtual speaker at Shiny Side Up. I returned to New Zealand as a speaker in 2022.

Delivered to rider groups – I travel around the UK in person to deliver SOBS to clubs and rider groups around the UK. And thanks to COVID, I am now able to deliver the presentation online. To organise a talk for your own group contact me at: info@scienceofbeingseen.org.

Available as a book – SOBS is also available as a paperback book or an ebook download. All funds from sales are ploughed back into website hosting, further research and writing. 

Other than donations SOBS receives no funding – and until 2019, the SOBS project remained entirely self-funded – now, as well as my own time and cash, your contributions help keep the project alive.