Motorcycle Forums

This is not a well thought out Idea, its basis is not on scientific analysis, we are told that bright colours are the answer, but science says it is not, in fact it is the opposite.

This is the science:

Chromatic Aberration
• Different colours force the eye to
change focus
• Slows reaction time
• Makes depth perception more difficult
• Can directly affect braking distance

The multicoloured
(patterned) Motorbikes
while distinctive, may
suffer decreased
conspicuity because of the
effects of camouflage

Please read more at viennamotorbiker.webs.com/news.htm scroll down to the 17 may 2011

andyinvienna

MY pet hate is people taking science/research that some poor soul has spent years developing. Dude, that is the most horrific, stupid and counter intuitive argument ever. If you don't like it don't ware it, don't talk ass biscuits about it. Chromatic aberration or achromatism is only relevant to artificial lens with several layers at a variation of distances BECAUSE, Chromatic distortion is a failure of a lens to focus all colours to a single convergence point. IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH HI VIS!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!? Its the same as believing in werewolves at full moon!! I'm sure wikipedia could give you more info than that piece of s***. The human brain is conditioned similar to preditorial animals to notice slight movement that is outside of our focal range, If people crash into you ware hi vis... its not because they didn't see you they just didn't look! I personally go for leathers during the summer because I expect no one to see me and ride like it, but in the winter use hi vis "just in case" it helps!

Hi-viz

I never bother with it; I'm not convinced it makes much difference to be honest.

It might work *if* drivers look, but I recall coming out of work one night and having a taxi driver pull out on me because he was looking only to his left, and didn't bother looking right at all.

Fact is some people should simply let the bloody guide dog drive.

From January next year all French motorcyclists will have to wear a certain amount of hi-vis over their jacket.

No they won't its retro-reflecting material which is completly different than hi-viz.

French Decree

The decree provides that drivers and passengers of motorized two-wheelers (2WD) of more than 125 cm3 from 1st January 2013 must wear a retro-reflecting device with a total surface area of at least 150 cm ².

150cm² of retro-reflective material – the stuff that reflects when you shine a torch on it. It sounds massive, but how much is that, actually? A smartphone is 64mmx122mm, which is 78.08cm², so two smartphone sized patches or an armband.

If riders fails to comply with the law they will be subject to a fixed fine of €68 which automatically leads to the reduction of two points from their driver’s licence. There is no mention of what the passenger faces for non-compliance, perhaps just a fine?

FFMC (French Riders Organisation) say that, “bikers already have four retro-reflective stickers on the helmet and they ride with the headlights on. In addition, a retro-reflecting device is useless in daylight … We also know that the issue of visibility is not a problem of lighting or colours of clothing, but a problem of inattention of drivers inadequately trained to coexist with PTWs which is more and more prevalent. Finally, why are only bikers of more than 125 cm3 included? They are the best equipped of all PTW users”

This year the political elections are due in France and “noises” coming from FFMC suggests that they are not finished with this issue.

French are strange

The French Government has spoken so do it, what next will GP racers have to wear arm bands and helmet stickers, maybe French flags will have to have reflective bands put around them so birds dont fly into them.

  No end to this madness!!    Andy