Headlight configurations that make motorcycles more noticeable, why drivers fail to give way to motorcycles at T-intersections, and how mirror use influences car-motorcycle conflicts are among the topics researched and reported on in the just-out January issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention (AA&P), a journal primarily focused on causes and impacts of transportation accidents.
The January issue of AA&P is a themed issue titled "Safety and Mobility of Vulnerable Road Usears (sic): Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Motorcyclists" and consists of a selection of papers presented at an international conference organized by Israel's National Road Safety Authority.
In a report entitled "Recognisability of different configurations of front lights on motorcycles," the researchers say that "Results of a laboratory experiment have shown that motorcycles with a T-shaped light configuration are more quickly identified, particularly when the motorcycles are in visual competition with other motorised road users."
In "Why do car drivers fail to give way to motorcycles at t-junctions?," researchers studied differences between novice drivers, experienced drivers, and "dual drivers," i.e., drivers who also ride motorcycles. They found that dual drivers were better at recognizing motorcycles than either of the other two groups. While the results are inconclusive, the researchers state that "We argue that this is potential evidence for an oculomotor basis for Look But Fail To See errors."
The report "Attention and search conspicuity of motorcycles as a function of their visual context" says that multi-colored, reflective, and white rider outfits consistently made the riders more noticeable than a black outfit.
Cars changing lanes without recognizing that a motorcycle is in that lane is a common experience for motorcyclists, and that topic is addressed in "Attending overtaking cars and motorcycles through the mirrors before changing lanes." Not surprisingly, the researchers found that "Risky manoeuvres were less likely to occur in those cases where more time was spent gazing at the mirrors."
Other reports in this issue address other motorcycle-related issues. Access to the reports themselves is on a for-pay basis, but abstracts of the reports are available to all on the journal's website.
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