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Maybe paradoxically riding naked would be safest ? You would be seen and noticed.



and probably arrested .

Major Softie wrote:

Zombie Master wrote:
Until you accept, that when riding, you are invisible, you will always be in danger.

There is a problem with this statement. Implicit in the statement is: if you accept that, when riding, you are invisible, you will no longer be in danger. I know that you know this is not true.

When riding, you are invisible, and thus in danger - always. Accepting that you are invisible is a valuable step toward minimizing the risk, but it can only be reduced: you are always in danger.

It's the acceptance part of my statement that is important. In reality one is not invisible when riding, but while I'm a devout atheist, I do have this one area of faith. I have trained myself to accept, the way that an evangelical accepts Christ, that I am indeed invisible when riding.

They do not see me. Of this I am sure.

Danger always I fell down a flight of stairs just 2 days ago letting my cat out when half asleep. If I stay in bed a meteorite might hit me. There's no where to hide.

Zombie Master wrote:Danger always I fell down a flight of stairs just 2 days ago letting my cat out when half asleep. If I stay in bed a meteorite might hit me. There's no where to hide.

Maybe you should get a cat door installed so you can minimize danger from the stairs. And though it is possible a meteorite might hit you if you stay in bed, it is still much safer than motorcycling, hi-viz gear or not.

Instead of making everyone wear hi-viz, we should outlaw women drivers. Motorcyclists (and everyone else) would be much safer without ditzy women drivers jabbering on their cell phones while they put on their makeup, paying no attention as they herd the soccer-mom minivan down the road. Or in this case, the old Mercedes.

Police officer on motorcycle injured in I-225 crash in Aurora

OK we should also outlaw men drivers. In fact, we should outlaw cages altogether! Just think how much more fun it would be to ride a motorcycle with out all those damn cagers in the way.

Yep, eliminate all the cars, THAT should work... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIthEM6pDqw

Zombie Master wrote:
It's the acceptance part of my statement that is important. In reality one is not invisible when riding, but while I'm a devout atheist, I do have this one area of faith. I have trained myself to accept, the way that an evangelical accepts Christ, that I am indeed invisible when riding.

Ah, but that is not your only "leap of faith." Your choice of Atheism is also a leap of faith - a rational one, but one nevertheless. It is only the Agnostic, failing to ever make a choice, who can claim to have no faith at all.

Steve in Golden wrote:Instead of making everyone wear hi-viz, we should outlaw women drivers. Motorcyclists (and everyone else) would be much safer without ditzy women drivers jabbering on their cell phones while they put on their makeup, paying no attention as they herd the soccer-mom minivan down the road. Or in this case, the old Mercedes.

Police officer on motorcycle injured in I-225 crash in Aurora

I play the HELL out of my tail light when sitting at a red light. I can't wait to get my Hyper Lites installed on the new bike.

Steve in Golden wrote: In fact, we should outlaw cages altogether! Just think how much more fun it would be to ride a motorcycle with out all those damn cagers in the way.

It would make bicycling nicer, except for the people who feel like driving their bicycles to some place to ride. But I seem to remember reading that over half of the motorcycle fatalities are a result of single vehicle wrecks.

Sometimes I think our perceptions of safety are almost completely unrelated to our actual safety.

enigmaT120 wrote: It would make bicycling nicer, except for the people who feel like driving their bicycles to some place to ride. But I seem to remember reading that over half of the motorcycle fatalities are a result of single vehicle wrecks.

Sometimes I think our perceptions of safety are almost completely unrelated to our actual safety.

1. I don't believe that's motorcycle fatalities, I believe that's motorcycle accidents. Edit: I looked it up and, at least in the decade ending 2006 (the years for which I found those numbers), it peaked at 45%, which is still super high compared to the 70's, but not over 1/2.

2. It's not exactly "unrelated." The problem is that we were all very comfortable with the actual facts of motorcycle accidents as related by the "Hurt Report" done many years ago. In that report, a huge percentage of all motorcycle accidents and fatalities were caused by automobiles: something near 90%.

Enter today: that report was done in the late 70's. Recent accident reports show that the facts now are far different than they were 35 years ago. Today the numbers are more like what you describe. Also, the average age of a motorcyclist involved in an accident has risen dramatically since the Hurt Report. It used to be that over 40 riders were involved in such a small percentage of the accidents that it was barely worth noticing. Today, over 40 riders make up a very large percentage of the accidents. The general consensus is that this is because in the 70's over 40 riders were virtually all very experienced riders, while today there is a very large population of over 40 riders on 900 lb. cruisers who are learning for the first time, or returning after riding for a couple years in their teens and having taken 20 - 30 years off. Of course, there's also the simple fact that a much larger percentage of the riding public is now made up of over 40 riders than in the 70's, so, even if nothing else had changed, you would expect their accident numbers to go up commensurate with their increased representation, but it's much higher than that.

So, it's not just "perceptions," it's that the real data has changed: a LOT.

Major Softie wrote:over 40 riders on 900 lb. cruisers who are learning for the first time,

That's just plain damn scary! Heavy bike, lousy ergonomics, etc...

Around here it's those damn trees that jump out at bikers going really fast around those damned curves.
Maybe the trees should have the Hi-viz vests?
And to illuminate another thought: THAT woman DID see you. She just didn't give a damn about you. Been there done that (Had it happen!) This is how I know a /5 CAN be skidded using the front brake.