So I wear Hi Viz....

[three west]

why wear high viz when you can ride high viz...

[Hardware]

Anything that makes you potentially more visible can't be bad.  

That said, it's amazing how many idiotic, self absorbed "drivers" fail to see emergency vehicles running code (lights & sirens activated).  If they fail to notice the large fire truck with multiple lights, siren & air-horn all going, they're probably going to miss you on your 'sickle, regardless of the colour of your bike, jacket, helmet, or underwear!

[paul13131313]

I've lusted after Icon Patrol Waterproof jacket/pants as my visibility solution and read every Hi Vis thread about it's effectivness.

I commute on my sole transportation,a 2009 CBR1000RR Repsol (45,170 miles to date) and deal with intelligence levels as encountered on a case by case basis.
I turn on high beams when splitting lanes.I move five to ten miles faster than traffic and if i'm going ten i'm slowing down to five!
When other vehicles see me they have time and do generally react positively by moving over,high beams and all,suprisingly.

I yield to vehicles,with turn signals,changing lanes,even coming to a dead stop if necessary and awaiting their decision to or no to move over.
I honk my horn continuosly as i pull along side vehicle that just crossed double yellow to leave the commuter lane between exits/entrances with hand palm up gesture as in "what the heck do you think your doing!"

I had a car enter the freeway directly to my right and merge across three lanes and almost over me while the driver alternately looked ahead and to passenger on right in heated conversation,me in a white suit,gloves,boots,helmet and on a white bike! (Previous 2007 CBR600RR)
I loved my white bike! Cars would literally jump to their right and left to let you through,once in unison,it was so cool!

They are all out to get you!
I go up Angeles Crest and at this one curve I can count on meeting a white service truck coming the opposite way halfway over the line into my lane.I chased him down,took license plate number and turned him into the highway patrol the second time,but it just ruined my day's ride twice.

And last,but not the least!
I purchased a Go Pro camera last Christmas and will be installing a second rear facing one on helmet behind the front one,this Christmas.
Whoa! Talk about visibility! LEOS duck and turn at the next intersection,to not be seen and every person on the road points and smiles when they see it or duck and cringe.Everyone says "it's a great idea,especially for those drivers that cut you off,etc"

My budget says I can replace my black with reflective striping Fieldsheer Cyclone waterproof suit with Hi Viz this spring! I will,if only (and may Almighty God forbid it!) because I could end up in court and and my lawyer gets to say "And you state that you were UNABLE to see my client?/please replay the video!"

P.S. Easyriders issue #14 or (somewhere around there) had an article about the actual medical cause of why the car across from you in the intersection turns left in front of you with a suprised look on their face like "where heck did you come from!".Seems human beings have a motorcycle sized blind spot at the back of the eye where the blood vessels enter! I've had it happen to me at first and other new people to the sport,to this day.

Freebie motorcycle magazine printed an article pointing out weaving a little before an intersection at speed on a two/four lane road with opposing traffic.They did'nt attribute it to the above cause,but because a motorcycle is such a small target and hard to judge approaching speed/distance. I have cars wait an extra few seconds to let me thru (head bob to them) and the usual "let's see if I can make this left turn before,hurry up,hurry up,go,go,go!"

Thanx for all the positve and informative posts.

Saw one of those Spyders,with a wheelchair attached,in town recently! I actually believe that's their core market and very appropriate! I'll chase it down and take a picture next time,to post up. 
  

[Dan K]

My mesh jacket is ready to take a ride by itself...if it had matching pants, it would walk away on its own...so I need a new mesh jacket and have been considering hi viz.

Just can't decide if it would help be seen or cause target fixation. I ride in a very visible way, even when not passing everyone.

Reading this thread makes me think it can't hurt, and I'm thinking a white helmet may be the best way to go re: visibility.

Don't give a shit how I'm perceived, just figure any edge to safety as easy as color of gear should be exploited.

I have all winter to decide, and won't be replacing the Arai for another year, but maybe a new modular helmet since the guy I lent mine to about 18 months ago still has it (and is hopefully wearing it...).  He had no helmet when he came by to show me his new (and first) bike.

So - hi viz causes target fixation? Or conspicuity of any sort is good?   (No headlight modulator here...don't need to cause any seizures to cagers or fellor riders...)

- Dan

[hovmaven]

Hi-Viz is great for visibility.  Wouldn't combat commute without it.



That being said, I combat commute on a flat black bike with a black suit in the hot weather (this is a winter pic, but you get the idea):




So I've come to the conclusion that if you have to choose only one, visibility props go to helmet color.  Compare the below pictures, which helmet stands out, which blends in?





And finally, which helmet stands out in the picture below?



Remember, the helmet is the highest point on the bike. . ..  

[Dan K]

I've already concluded helmet color is probably much more important than jacket - highest point on bike is good point.

Maybe a hi viz modular is in my future, still not sure on the jacket.  Don't want the target fixation, or to be too conspicuous when my bike gets a mind of its own and decides speed limits are optional...

What will I buy myself for the holidays....

[hovmaven]

I'd suggest that proper ATGATT gear may actually avoid an award or two.  I mean really, where's the fun in ticketing grandpa. . ..  

[Dan K]

I'd suggest that proper ATGATT gear may actually avoid an award or two.  I mean really, where's the fun in ticketing grandpa. . ..  

For some reason, maybe my comfort with law enforcement after being a prosecutor for the first 7 years of my law career, with 2 of those on the street directing/assisting with investigations, my performance award vs. pull over ratio is astoundingly close to zero, whether in the cage or on the bike.

But out of the last say, 14 times? I've gotten one award and 2 written warnings.  The others were just nice chats on the side of the road.

(I just spit three times on the floor and knocked on wood so as not to jinx it).  I've decided to go with a helmet for sure, but I don't really need a new helmet.  Will likely just scoop up the best deal I can get on a good mesh jacket.

- Dan

[mugwump58]

White helmets are the safest.

[tdeboeser]

Red helmets are the fastest.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

[Mr.Black]

I'd suggest that proper ATGATT gear may actually avoid an award or two.  I mean really, where's the fun in ticketing grandpa. . ..  

Right up there with a topcase as a deterrent.

[cbsnbiker]

Right up there with a topcase as a deterrent.

...Mr. Black said sheepishly....

[Mr.Black]

...Mr. Black said sheepishly....

Baaahhhhhhd pun.

[LtDaninBoca]

I ride a graphite 2008 Sprint(low viz) usually wearing black pants(lowviz) w/a grey Olympia Jacket (i forget the model, but it's the short version of an AST) (low viz) w/a law enforcement high quality traffic vest over it (VERY High Viz). All aforementioned gear including the panniers and the Ventura pack bag are generously covered w/reflectlite(high viz @night).
So what? THIS: I have a Kisan headlight modulator installed (remember, the Sprint has TWO main headlightsw/a third for high beam) THEREFORE When viewed from the front (or unavoidably in the rear and sideview mirrors) I appear to be a very stylish cop they've never seen before.
Oh yeah, helmet is either black or silver, both w/LOTS of reflective stickers...
The only downside is that after they yield to me (esp. on the highway) they get really pissy when I don't exceed the limit by more than 10-15 mph....
(It only takes one deputy having a bad day to slow you wayyyy down for a LONG, LONG time....I met mine not long ago, and my bank account has yet to recover...)
Also - what so many others have mentioned: riding as though you are an invisible guppy in a sea of psychotic mutant moron sharks who want to kill and eat you, etc....As well as riding aggressively and in such a manner as to draw attention ( seems counter -intuitive but 'tis true) helps.

[LtDaninBoca]

I just read the 3 pages of posts I skipped in my haste to post up before I got rung out -(I'm at work@ the fire station).So: Next helmet will be white;
already planned but probably will buy sooner having read(and agreed w/logic of)previous posts...
Modulators: I see so few that I can only imagine how annoying they are, BUT too bad, if it makes you move over and keeps you aware of my existence such that you don't hit me, I can live w/that....
Lastly - Although high viz nor modulators nor accessory lighting COMBINED w/situational awareness/ Tactical frame of mind and/or constant variation of lane position/speed etc. etc.ad infinitum will not guarantee survival on these mean streets, it SURE AS F**k can't hurt, and may well help....
Just saying....

[Max Wedge]

Now my helmet and jacket match. I am a fashion plate.

[sfalexi]

I wear high viz, and have a headlight modulator.  Not everyone sees me, but I'm betting if they didn't see me with high viz, they probably wouldn't have without it.  However I CAN remember instances where someone did a double take after seeing either my headlight modulator or jacket and stopped short after "realizing" I'm there.  And I feel the modulator and high viz helped.

I ride fairly conservative, but keep awareness a top priority.  I leave space cushions in front of me and never ride the same speed as a car next to me.  If a car is nexxt to me, I'm either passing it up, or allowing it to pass me up.  I always take the front brake a few times before slowing down or stopping.  When stopped, I keep checking the mirrors every few seconds so when I see anotehr car coming up behind me I tap the brakes again while stopped to try to draw attention that I'm there and stopped.  

I ALSO use some "aggresive" maneuvering to be seen.  When the light turns green, I quick look left and right for those guys that were TRYING to beat the red light but failed and will end up running the red (caught a few so far), and then I take off very quickly putting that car behind me WAY behind me.  When I'm on a road and no one is directly in front or behind me I'll sometimes start weaving in the lane (should do this more often....it helps you be seen AND it's more fun than a straight line).  I usually ride center of the lane and will weave to the outside or inside when I see a car at an intersectin (whichever is away from the car).  Not really to be seen, but so I have THAT much more time and lane if they pull out to decide to stop or speed up.  

Awareness has helped me more than anything, and I can't GUARANTEE that my modulator and high viz is the actual reason some cars have stopped short, but I know SOMETHING made them stop short.  And I think a blinking light is different enough that it could be the reason.

Also, I have also had people pull over with my modulator.  I just go past and take whatever finger comes out of the window with it.  Haven't been chased after yet, but hell, we have bikes.  We can outrun pretty much any chasing car if we REALLY need to, or just pull over to a very public area to explain what it is and why we have it. Your choice.

Alexi

PS - My Victory Vision helps.  Every day I get heads turning trying to figure out what the hell it is, and why George Jetson's motorcycle is not flying like they thought it would.  Anything you can to stick out, and my motorcycle helps!  In a few years, it'll get a nice white paint job and I'm REALLY going to be seen !!!

[Dan C]

I commute on interstate highways through a busy urban area (Seattle).  I started out commuting in standard dark color textiles but with white helmets.  Part of my commute involves using carpool lanes that go through tunnels and have on-ramps inside the tunnels (I-90 for those keeping score).  I was riding a big concrete grey Concours, wearing a grey Jacket, and was having lots of people try to merge into me.  I started wearing a hi-viz jacket and the incidence of people merging into me has decreased markedly.

I won't ride in the states without hi-viz.

[ambientboy]

  I started wearing a hi-viz jacket and the incidence of people merging into me has decreased markedly.

I have a plethora of jackets, but I wear my hi-viz vest during rush hour.  I have noticed I see more faces looking at me and more attentive commuters than when I wear my stealth black Icon jacket.  Ironically, I get this response ONLY in rush hour around KC.  If I'm wearing the hi viz during off-traffic hours, the response is negligible.  

I've conducted tests around KC with different apparel (because as a self-employed photographer, I have a LOT of free time to kill).  During the day and outside of rush-hour, the outfit I get noticed in the MOST is:  Silver Icon overpants, Stealth Black Icon jacket, matte black Shoei RF1100 with chrome visor.  The most illogical outfit wins.  When I wear my clear visor or my white Nolan helmet, I find far less people paying attention to me.  I chalk it up to the fact that you don't look human when your face isn't visible.

[dan88z]

I have a high vis jacket that I got in December. I had a yellow jacket before that, which stood out but didn't pop like the hi vis. I'm not sure if it gets me more noticed or not. The thing almost glows in twilight and my wife says the piping really lights up in her headlights. I have a mesh jacket that is black, I'd like to get a more high vis one but this one is still in good shape and I don't see the need to upgrade it just yet.  I'm in the market for a new helmet and I'm going back to white, which I had before. I used to get a lot of attention with the white helmet, but my bike back then looked like a cop bike with an extra light bar and blue and black colors so that was probably a factor as well.