SEEING AND BEING SEEN

SEEING: As bicyclists and motorists travel, they pay attention to some things and ignore others. This is called "selective perception." Simply put, it means people tend to see only what they expect to see.

Often, the things they pay attention to are important for reasons other than traffic safety. Fore example, they may be looking for an address or a place to park or they may be reading a "FINAL CLEARANCE SALE" sign.

Truly skilled cyclists and motorists, on the other hand, pay more attention to the task at hand: traveling safely. They keep their eyes open for hazards and they "anticipate" trouble.

They also look down the road to where they will be in about 12 seconds. How far is that? A cyclist riding at about 10 m.p.h., for example, would go about 175 feet in 12 seconds.

What should cyclists watch for? The following list covers most general hazard types:

1.) Moving Hazards: cars, pedestrians, dogs, other bicyclists, trains, trucks, buses, motorcycles, or anything else that could cross their paths.
2.) Stationary Hazards: parked cars, utility poles, park benches, fire hydrants, fences, parked bicycles or anything else that would be in the way.
3.) Surface Hazards: potholes, sand, rocks, drain grates, concrete joints, raised manhole covers, broken glass, cans and other roadway litter and anything else that could cause a fall or loss of control.
4.) Visual Hazards: bushes and shrubs, fences, parked cars, buildings, large flashing signs and other things that either block view OR distract people's attention.

BEING SEEN: Another important aspect of safe travel is being seen by other road users.

Cyclists who wear bright clothing are more likely to be seen than those who wear dark, drab colors. Some of the better colors for daytime riding are the "fluorescents" (e.g. safety green and Day-Glo orange).

Unfortunately, these colors aren't worth much at night. However, several companies make fluorescent colored reflective material (like "Reflexite") that is both bright during day and highly reflective at night.

This material can be used to make reflective pants straps (to keep trouser legs out of the chain) or can be used for trim on jackets and other clothes. Some companies market "hot dots," small adhesive reflective dots that can be stuck to clothing or bikes.

For nighttime riding, however, cyclists need more than a few bits of reflective material. Unless they have effective lighting systems, they shouldn't be riding.