What is the surplus value off Safety Lights on your direction lights or on your headlights? Why should you consider to buy these products?
Maybe you have already encountered users in your neighborhood or maybe you saw an American bike. Perhaps you have seen it in movie's? Didn't those orange lights strike you? Orange is a color that contrasts very well, during daytime and nighttime. It is also the color of fire and because fire means danger this strikes us much more than white light.
S.W.O.V. is a government authority that does scientific research concerning road safety and accidents, result: 75 tot 80 % of accidents concerning motorcyclist has to do with his poor conspicuity. Motorists often mention that they did look but did not see the motorcyclist! Sometimes it is mentioned that they did see the motorcyclist but that they misjudged their distance and speed. Most accidents with motorcyclist happen on crossroads, due to both crossing as oncoming cars.
MAIDS stands for: Motorcycle Accident In Depth Study and is a European study, published early 2006. They conclude that about 70% has to do with the poor conspicuity. Mostly human errors. Wrongly many motorcyclists fear the most danger from behind. However the most danger for motorcyclists comes from the front side. Click here for a summary of the results.
Many research is done concerning features that play a role in accidents. Therefore we first tell you something about the phenomena called visual perception. Visual perception is the awareness off what happens around us. Because there is much more to see than our brain is able to cope with, most of the information is stopped by a kind of filter. We only are aware of a part of what there is to see. What we perceive is determined by what we expect to see and from signals that come from the eyes. An example in hearing is the following: how often do you misunderstand the name of the caller the first time he mentions it? Another example: if you come across a car you like, does it not strike you that afterwards you see a lot of that type off car? If you want to know more about visual perception and are able to read Dutch you can look at the articles from ProMotor a Dutch magazine for motorcyclist from our A.N.W.B. This also deals whit the physical parts of seeing, we are only able to see sharp about the finger nail of our little finger at arms length with our fovea. The fovea is the small area of about one square mm of our retina that allows us to see sharp over an angle off about 1 degree. Our eyes move rapidly and constantly, scan, with small leaps (saccades), this way we see an angle of about 20 degrees sharp. The rest of our field of vision, about 180 degrees, is called our periphery and this gets more hazy the further outside. In the periphery area we first have to aim our fovea at it to be able see sharp. This is the reason we cannot identify anything in this periphery area but it warns us for something that is present. The experiment about visual perception let you experience how this works. In the articles are also interesting examples of optical illusions.
This is the phenomena that we do not see an object within our field of vision because our attention is not fixed upon that object. At the university of Harvard the following experiment is carried out. Test subjects had to look to a video in which 2 teams of 3 players each (one team in white shirt and one team in black shirts) played a basketball into each others hands. De test subject counted how many times, within one team, the ball was played through the air and via the floor. Somewhere in the video a person in a gorilla suit walked into the picture, stops and beats his breast and leaves the picture. The gorilla was 9 sec visible. 50% of the test subjects had not seen the gorilla at all.
People who passed by were asked the direction, workpeople walked with an object between the questioner and the by-passer, meanwhile the questioner was replaced. 50% of the test persons did not notice the change. A similar experiment was done in a TV show among others with Jan Douwe Kroeske en minister Jorritsma. The results were even worse. We have found several examples of change blindness: Leopard Skin, market en harbor. The differences in these images which are shown in turns are very difficult to spot if you do not know where to look. These examples are meant to show that the image of a motorcyclist which you do not see often is difficult to spot by someone who does not drive a bike oneself. These images can be viewed with modern windows media player. If this does not work you need quick time video which you can download for free from http://www.apple.com/nl/quicktime/download/. Note, this does not interfere with windows media player.
On the page What do i see? you find some pictures with surprising effects that demonstrate how the mind is tricked.
At the university of Sussex research has been done about the visual judging strategy of motorist at crossings and the reason why motorcyclist are relatively often not noticed in this. Experienced motorists develop preprogrammed viewing patterns in the direction of areas at crossings where, according their experience, the most information will be obtained. This way they learn to concentrate on more frequent and larger objects (other cars and trucks). A search is done for danger the motorist expects at that particular crossing. Visual information of less frequent danger (a motorcyclist) has a bigger chance to be ignored. This visual search can be done very quickly. Short glances to the left and right for about 0.3 seconds are carried out, in this short time they have a glare and review the situation. Tunnel vision occurs also, in the periphery (corners of the eyes) even less is perceived.
The image of an oncoming car is much more conspicuous than the image of a motorcyclist. That is because of the symmetry in that image. Such symmetrical image (this could be a predator) in our field of vision leads to a very fast and forced replacement of the attention to that image. Two spots like eyes are very well recognized by primitive parts of our brain. This could be a predator! Little children see similar patterns better and more often than any other pattern. Two spots like eyes are also used for scaring on wings of moths and butterflies. Late years 80 Yamaha in the USA did an experiment about the conspicuity of motorcyclist. Two headlights where mounted at both ends of the steering bar. It appeared that this way the motorcyclist was spotted much more often. Estimating its distance and speed is also done more accurate this way compared to one headlight. Do you want to experience the power of two eyes cklik than here. You will have difficulty to believe what you experience.
Did you know that very young baby's already look at one's face to see the state you are in? In fact we already use this because we laugh and be marry to a baby to make him laugh.
Another interesting fact we heard on the radio is: Laboratory rats who were about 200 generations in that laboratory and were locked up separated, were released in freedom. Within 24 hours they already did natural thins like building holes, mating, and searching for food and they did not have to do that for over 200 generations!
Another example concerning the genetic pass of information,
even less important than how to survive is about a flea circus:
The flea circus is created by putting a glass transparent plate over the cage.
The fleas will bump their heads and stop jumping that high. Their descendants
will not jump that high either.
Motion in our field of vision also forces our attention to that movement. If we turn our head we do this because there was movement in the corner of one of our eyes. We automatically focus our attention (fovea) to that movement to have a look at it. If you did the above mentioned experiment, experiment about instincts, you personally have experienced how our brain outside our consciousness does scan in the corner off our eyes. If there is motion our attention is fixed automatically to it. This must have to do with spotting the predator in the bushes.
The busy traffic moves must faster than we and our body are made for. Normally we walk with a speed about 5 km an hour. If we can run fast we can reach about 35 km an hour. Our brains and reaction speed are tuned to a much lower speed than what we use in traffic.
If we look at our own attention when we use the car, we must admit that we often drive on an automatic pilot. We often think about other things than the traffic around us. Afterwards we often do not remember the distance we have covered. With increasing traffic, traffic jams and the more we participate in traffic this behavior will increase too.
The world in which we live is around us. It is wide. That's why our eyes are side by side. We observe wide objects much better than small objects. For example a tree or lamp-post that has fallen on the road.
So far the most important scientific and natural backgrounds concerning observing and perceiving. Do you want to know more about this phenomena and you are able to read Dutch look at articles from the Dutch motor magazine ProMotor.
Research about accidents: 80% of the accidents with motorcyclist is influenced by the facts mentioned above.
The very conspicuous color orange (fire) is already mentioned. This color also contrasts the very best, no matter what collor background is used.
Inattentional blindness: Because of the two orange spots that look like eyes this risk is much lower. If you are still not noticed then you will attract attention because off the motion that is suggested by the flashing off the indicators with a special pattern. If you have done the experiment about instincts mentioned above, you better realize the more than proportional power of this effect. Tip: When doubting apply shortly the brake lever and check if you get eye contact.
Changing blindness: This also applies to inattentional blindness. Here as well the tip to apply the brake shortly.
Judging strategy motorist: Take this in account en search for eye contact. Here also the Safety Lights work the same as with inattentional blindness. As well as the eyes reflex as the motion advantage. Tip: When in doubt apply shortly the brake lever to get eye contact.
Symmetry- and eyes reflex: The two orange lights next to a white headlight fulfill this condition. T achieve this it is better not to use a yellow headlight.
Motion: Touch the brake and you fulfill this condition. Tip: For oncoming traffic you are not moving in their perspective. Be extra careful.
Speed: Keep this in mind. Not only for the other road users but also for yourself.
Automatic pilot in the car: The eyes reflex might work here a little. When you apply the brake this problem solves anyway.
Width: With dimmed burning indicators your image appears to be much wider.
It is clear that with this product we achieve a lot in our desire to be seen and noticed. Still there is more possible by using the headlights.
Research about accidents: 80% of the accidents with motorcyclist is influenced by the facts mentioned above.
Because of the dimmed illumination off the lamps they color a little orange like fire and is more conspicuous than white light. The intensity of the headlight is also reduced so the motorcyclist behind the spot is recognized much earlier and therefore his distance and speed is better estimated by the motorist. Have a look at the pictures at Safety Headlights to see the effect and differences compared to regular illumination.
This color also contrasts the very best, no matter what background.
Inattentional blindness: Because of the coloring that intends to the color of fire this risk is smaller. If you still are not noticed then you will attract attention because off the motion that is suggested by the flashing off the headlights with a special pattern. If you have done the experiment about instincts mentioned above, you better realize the more than proportional power of this effect. Tip: When the opponent is nearby and you doubt, apply shortly the brake lever to achieve eye contact. When the car is further away you can use the auto signaling function.
Changing blindness: This applies in a similar way like inattentional blindness. Her as well the tip to apply the brake shortly or signal automatically.
Judging strategy motorist: Take this in account en search for eye contact. Here also the (Duplo)Headlights work the same as with inattentional blindness. As well as the contrasting color as the conspicuous motion when this is necessary. Tip: When any doubt then apply shortly the brake lever or use the automatic signaling to get eye contact.
Symmetry- and eyes reflex: If your headlights are separated whit a little space in between and they burn dimmed, than even at a greater distance they stay separate spots and fulfill this fact.
Motion: Touch the brake or signal automatically and you fulfill this condition. Tip: For oncoming traffic you are not moving in their perspective. Be extra careful. Use automatic signaling early.
Speed: Keep this in mind. Not only for the other road users but also for yourself.
Automatic pilot in the car: The eye reflex might work here a little. When you apply the brake or when you use automatic signaling this problem is solved anyway.
As a final conclusion we can safely presume that by using these products you will be seen at any time. Especially after touching the brake or applying the automatic signaling. Excluded is the exception when you are hidden behind objects. Be extra careful in these circumstances! By using Safety Lights or Safety Headlights the road users in general are with their attention attending the traffic, rather than telephoning or having other thoughts. This thesis is emphasized with the experiences off Safety Lights users and the fact that aprox 10 to 20 million km have been driven with our products without failing.
There is still another aspect with our Headlights that you will love, especially with the Duplo Headlights. Indirectly this also increases your safety. This aspect is illuminating.
If you consider where you look when you are driving, when you are in motion, isn't it so that you look past the spot of your low beam (driving beam)? In fact your low beam is a lot of illumination but not where you want it as you normally look in the distance. Preferably you would like to use your high beam but because off the blinding of the oncoming traffic (unsafe) you do not use this. A partial high beam, that does not hinder the oncoming traffic, is far more useful than a lot of light nearby! You illuminate much more efficient, a little light on the right place instead of a lot of lights on the wrong place. You can even achieve the same conditions that nocturnal animals have by dipping your low beam (driving beam). Your eyes will react in several seconds and become more sensitive because off less light nearby in which case you even see more, especially in the far distance. When changing to more light your eyes will protect them selves and become immediately less sensitive. As a result you have two facts that leads to an improved illumination. A little illumination in the right place and less light nearby so your eyes become more sensitive which improves your sight even more.
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