For many years road safety experts, police and motorcyclists have known that the most common collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle happens when the motorcyclist has right-of-way and another driver turns into the rider’s path. All the way back in 1977, US researcher Harry Hurt stated:
“the most likely comment of an automobile driver involved in a traffic collision with a motorcycle is that he, or she, did not SEE the motorcycle…”
This collision is so common, it has its own acronym. This is the so-called ‘SMIDSY’ collision where the driver says:
“Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You”.
More than four decades have passed since Hurt and the SMIDSY is still the most common crash involving a motorcycle and another vehicle. It still causes significant numbers of injuries and fatalities.
If we’ve known about the collision for decades, why are we still grappling with what is an age-old problem that goes back to the dawn of the motorcycling age in the early 1900s?
READER FEEDBACK
“A lot of good stuff and rigorously put together with proper supporting facts”
Peter Ramadge
If we’re interested in reducing powered-two wheeler (PTW) crashes and making motorcycling safer, then it’s a good question to try to answer.
And that’s why back in the winter of 2011-12 I created a new presentation called the ‘Science of Being Seen’ (or SOBS for short). SOBS would draw on the latest research to show just why motorcyclists and drivers come into conflict, and use that knowledge to offer riders effective strategies to stay out of trouble.
This website presents you with the research and background material that underpins the presentation.
Science Of Being Seen 