Whenever I come close to an intersection and I get that "feel" that I'm potentially gonna get cut-off, whenever they look my way I raise my left hand at them in a quick greeting. They always look puzzled "Wat? who is this?" but it always achieves the effect. In their bewilderment they let me pass instead of cutting me off. Also, sometimes they wave back and i think its a pretty wholesome side-effect :)
Ryan said what I was taught/learned, in a more positive manner. I say, “Assume no one sees you and everybody is TRYING to kill you.” He said, “People can be like pigeons,” and explained how and why. Beautifully and artfully done. Thank you!
Acting like everyone is actively out to get you is stupid. That attitude makes motorcyclists feel they are permitted to break motorists mirrors and windows. And people are, rightly, starting to get FUCKED UP for behaving like that. This particular problem is 100% the fault and problem of bikers, not car drivers. If they assume that bikes are doing the same thing on the road as cars- they’re right! They fuckin should be!
I have been saying this for some time. I previously put it down to: drivers expect traffic to approach at or close to the speed limit and that will give them a certain amount of time for their action. Even speeding cars mess that up but are easier to see and judge. Motorcycles being harder to see, complicate things even more. Your pigeon theory adds to the problem and really fits. Plus one eye means less likely to even see the motorcycle behind the "A" pillar.
Even worse. If you're coming into intersection, it's possible for even careful driver to have several seconds lasting blindspot from A-pillar as you approach and if the other vehicle has unfortunately matching speed. I'm biker myself and try to be careful and mindful about bikers. I drove my car into intersection and during the approach to it, I think I watched four times to both ways. Then when I almost continued without stopping just like second away I realized that there was big GS with passenger and they both wore hi-vis clothing and even hi-vis helmets. Scared the shit out of me and it was evident that biker got scared too, but luckily he didn't crash. Since that I've fully realized why stop signs should maybe exist in more bigger intersections which you can approach with modest speeds.
Living in a country with abundant motorcyclists, I know for a fact that these drivers that are involved in these accidents are either: a) entitled (pricks) people b) beginner or lacking on experience c) indecisive driver (stops midway) d) tired or lack of attention or careless As a regular driver of car and motorcycle for years, I have developed senses and judgment of how fast a motorcycle speed were. I can assure that these drivers involved in these intersection accidents always fall on those said categories.
And worse than it used to be. Pillars in a modern cars are much thicker than those of, say, 20 or 30 years ago. An older driver whose attention and health are perfect is still more likely to make the mistake of thinking that they can see more than they do. All of their training was on vehicles that did not have such large blind spots. Old types like me have to learn new tricks like tilting your head one way and the other around the pillars instead of just using your eyes. It is the difference between spotting somebody behind a tall fence post and spotting somebody behind a thick utility pole.
I love how Ryan takes the time to reference the studies and documents used for the video. Not only does he give credit where credit is due, but he shows his professionalism by backing up the points he makes in the video. Keep up the good work.
When I started riding, I was given one piece of advice. "If it has more tires than you, it will actively try to kill you,". Always enjoy your videos, well done.
It seems to be common to be told something similar. The advice I was given was "Everyone on the road is an idiot and is out to get you". Motorcycle riders can be dangerous too, also animals. A pheasant nearly got me killed once.
When the MSF Basic Rider course was revised a few years ago, they added an exercise (#9, I believe) which is a demo by the rider coaches only to show the students the difference between the stopping distance (crash avoidance distance) was between going 15 MPH vs. 25 MPH at an intersection. It was adapted from the German MC training curriculum, and I think is was a very good addition to the course.
I remember that! I was the only person who came close at all, and that's because I was a defensive driving instructor in a previous life lol. It's scary to learn
Here in Brazil in motorcycle driving school you learn how to not drop the bike, how to not stall it and how to use the blinkers, all done in a closed circuit without any on road practice.
I love this guy's dialogue and delivery. And he's cool without being over cool, or not just a tiny bit nerdy, and he makes motorcycling super interesting.
I had a workplace accident 9 months ago and lost one of my eyes. Motorcycling is my passion and the one thing that keeps me looking forward to the future, going on trips and buying new bikes. I got back on the bike as soon as I could and have been riding again for the last 6 months. I'm riding as well as I ever have, just be aware that I do have reduced field of view (scan the road a bit more) and depth perception, a lot of that has been relearned subconsciously.
One eye view interestingly gives a cinematic effect. When you see the world with one eye it's like constantly watching a TV. But the downsides are reduced field of view and much more eyes movement like you said. Sometimes it gives headaches and cause anger.
I'm sorry to hear about the accident but i'm amazed (in a very good way) to hear how you perseveer to still be driving with, what is easiest to describe as, a disability, especially where it can be very important, and adapt to your new situation. I wish you the best!!
I only have one good eye (right) it sucks for shoulder checks, but I still ride and have adjusted and am a little more careful lane changing and turning. It is also a pia for off road, but at least we are still out riding!
I have to admit, the crash footage is always hard to watch. But showing it always adds to the power of the video. I don't even drive a motorcycle and this is a top five favourite channel on all of UA-cam for me. Every video is unbelievably informative, fun and engaging. Keep them up!
@@cooliipie "Can humans really see our noses at all times but our brains learn to ignore it? Yes, he is constantly in our field of vision and for good reason. If you don't focus on it, you won't be aware of its presence, because the calculations it is used for are done automatically, but it is essential for coordinating your visual inputs and the spatial arrangement in which you move . , such as crossing on streets or moderate height jumps, such as in the back of a van, because the system constantly calculates the point of impact. It also interfaces with your proprioceptive and vestibular systems. It is essentially the reference point from which spatial distances are calculated, you can call it the visual self."
This is a great way to explain what all us riders have experienced. A car pulls to an intersection 90 degrees from you, makes eye contact with you, and then pulls out right in front of you. Ride safe guys!
Thank you for the "near a intersection at least" mention. I like it when riders don't pretend. We all ride faster then the speed limit, pass cars in mountain passes in corners and straight lines,lane split even if its not allowed in our country. Paranoia helps staying alive on a motorcicle. Slowing down near a intersection or a crosswalk on when you see that texting driver and make sure he sees you when you overtake will increase your chance of survival. Ride safe!
I totally understand the practicality of motorcycles and the thrill, but I choose to ride around in a steel cage anyway. More margin of error for the things I can't control.
Not all of us speed, pass cars in corners, and lane split. The public roads are not your personal race track. Put on your big boy pants and go to an actual track.
@@clarson2916 Yep, I live and ride the Mountains, and never have and never will pass on a blind corner or double yellow, and I sure as hell don't split lanes, not because it isn't legal, but because I really don't trust ANY cagers. It's funny how being safe actually makes one a safer rider.
One trick is also useful, when observing standing cars, concentrate on the wheels. They have the largest movement compared to the car's speed and will be easiest to spot if the car starts to move. I usually first make sure that the driver saw me, then/otherwise I turn my focus on wheels.
Been doing this for years now. Watch the wheels spin (or not). You will realize how few cars actually come to a complete stop even when it appears the entire car does.
@@CSNCSNCSN Well, if the car's creeping and I see that he/she looked at me and then the car stops, that's it for me, I'm fairly sure he/she won't cut me. My 30 year experience.
As a rider in a country consistently ranked as #1 in motorcycle if not road fatalities, I don't actually treat junctions any more carefully than anywhere else - that is that anyone in any type of vehicle, can do anything, anywhere, at any time, so it's up to me to be acutely aware, everywhere, all the time. I just assume that no one ever sees me, no one knows how fast I'm going and, most importantly, they're all out to get me. Stay safe!
But how can I show everyone that I am an ultimate rider? Shouldn't they adjust to me all the time and they should ALWAYS see me. EVERY DRIVER should know that my RIDING LIFE is much more fun than their 4 wheel vehicle. I HAVE ZERO RESPECT FOR EVERYONE AND THEY SHOULD RESPECT MY SHIT AND ALWAYS ADJUST FOR ME! I should be able to go fast whenever I want, wherever I want, no?
I used to ride quite a a bit and you’re absolutely correct. Staying alive whilst riding requires my full attention and the assumption that everyone is susceptible to not seeing me, all the time. This has kept me alive, so I’m either very lucky, or defensive riding actually has merit.
@@2GreeDiethat's the mindset that consequences fatality . If only I were to assume that the other person is a dumb f*ck and won't heed to my needs , I might just survive . Anyway , blaming yourself while riding is the way to ride securely.
Great video! Love the ever present “pigeon” in the background. Long ago I realized if I was going to ride motorcycles on public roads and wanted to stay alive I had to ride like everyone else doesn’t see me, and if by chance they do, they want to kill me.
Another really useful tip I first saw from DanDanTheFireman is to weave left to right and back in your lain when approaching an intersection. It makes the vision field for your motorcycle larger, so hopefully other drivers will see you coming. I still use that at intersections where cars will be turning left over oncoming traffic. And when approaching a road and seeing a car wanting to come in from the side.
All modern motorcycles have super bright headlights that are always on, even during the day. I think there is a statistic somewhere where having a headlight on actually dramatically increases visibility. Lights register in people's heads, even when they don't realize it.
When I approach a car that might pull out in front of me, I weave in my lane. That "widens" the width of my bike and adds additional movement to attract the eye. Plus the cagers probably wonder what's wrong with me, hopefully forcing them to think about my presence more. I remember there being a British or Australian safety video that talked about doing this and also went into detail about why vertical objects like motorcycles tend to "disappear" in people's minds.
I too was taught to weave a little (reasoning being the windscreen pillar), and when training as a bus driver was taught to look by turning my whole head (not by my car instructor).
Yes, glad you mentioned that. Also, when travelling on long trips on boring roads, it alleviates the zombie effect by requiring the rider to focus rather than daydream.
It indeed is a British video. This type of accident happens so often, it's gotten it's own term: SMIDSY: "Sory Mate, I Didn't See You." Very educational video that also explains why bright color gear can work for you and against you depending on your background.
That is a good and useful maneuver, I also use it sometimes and it mostly works. Ages ago I read about the dragonfly effect, a fly can't spot the predatory dragonfly because from the front it's like a single dot, the long body is not visible and the fluttering transparent wings are a blur. It's like trying to spot an arrow flying at you. People at intersections, and it's not just cars, motorcycles and pedestrians have the same problem. Only when you show them the side of the motorcycle, the brain tells them something tangible is coming at them and they react. There are more factors in this situation, even the respect for the law and other people's life, people tend not to give right of way even to deadly trucks, but this problem is a big part of the survival agenda for us.
RyanF9-(Good Job, as always...) I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair (couldn't come up with a valid "Z") and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
I've done several classes of different formats over the years, even some repeats. The most basic of classes have been worth every penny, every single time.
What online course are you taking? Do you like it? Do you feel that it will help you be a safer rider? I would be interested to know more details, please.
The single most important axiom for riding a street bike: No matter the law...no matter the rules of the road...no matter who's 'right'...if you argue with a car, you are instantly afforded all of the protections, perks and privileges of a high speed pedestrian with a helmet on.
The dude walking around with the pigeon head in the background. I'm crying laughing. For me, there is no greater producer of content on the internet than you guys. I look forward to these like...like a ride on a warm day with open curving roads.
This is exactly how I crashed last year. Ever since, I have it in the back of my mind that I'm invisible and also, I use other cars as a shield at intersections whenever possible!
@@sergej2850 Good strategy, I had a scooter in highschool and rode around cars frequently. Scooters are even less visible then cars, especially in a rural-ish area. Sometimes, being patient and letting cars have the right away to pass in front of you, yield at intersections and signal them to ‘go ahead’ and always be vigilant is the best bike strategy. Just a food for thought. Of course, my mom always also told me “Drivers dont see you, they see cars.” and that is about as good advice as the pigeon principle tbh. Heck, I got into more accidents hurting myself then others hurting me lmao😂
@@doctorprepper8106Have a buddy at work who had the car next to him slam into him after it got t-boned instead of him. Obviously better than if he had been t-boned, but he still got in a wreck regardless
Matches up with my experience of 10 years as a London bike courier in the 1990s (GT550 ftw). Always treated cars, buses and, particularly, taxis as "out to get me", never assumed "he's seen me" or "he won't pull out on me" and knew that on a wet, oily or gravelly road, you're going down, so don't wear t-shirt and flip-flops on a ZZR. Even so, if I think back to some of the things I did in London traffic, I don't know how I survived. Nice to see you doing more frequent videos again.
I've never even ridden a motorcycle yet I watch most videos lol. Probably because they are, as you've said, expertly made. Not just some rambling stuff about motorcycles that come close to an advertisement, but in depth explanation of the physics and engineering behind it.
Great track selection, perfectly pulling us in at the start and enticing us to want more at the end! As always, the details are on point. Love the content!
This explains why I've always had to look twice to know how fast, how far away, and in what lane a motorcycle is. I wondered if it was an issue with my vision, but I guess you'd call it a feature. Fascinating!
no matter how fast I ride, I always slow down and pay more attention near intersections and blind spots where people and cars might pull up, and it saved my countless times. my riding buddy always comment on how weird I ride, suddenly fast and suddenly slow, it seems that he doesn't realize the potential hazards ahead, makes sense why he had many accidents.
Almost everyone seeks fulfillment in their chosen line of work. I envy Ryan ......he likely has saved hundreds of motorcyclists' lives with his 5 minute video. Keep 'em coming!
Dude your storytelling and even thinking of the concept is pure genius! Very few channels can even touch that. Kudos and thanks for making such content!
Amongst moto channels - yes. But there are a number of YT channels on other subjects with similar style of storytelling. Try 'Rare Earth' (travel) for example.
Great video!! Useful knowledge. After 40+ years of riding, I've concluded: If your safety is dependent on the good judgement, or even grace, of the other drivers around you, you are going too fast.
Yep, my major dismissal of the loud pipes brigade, you think they can't see you, but your prepared to believe that the supposition (debatable at best) that they may hear you will save you?
The crash scenario you set up at 0:46 is also a perfect example of blocked vision contributing to serious accidents. Motorcycle accident studies like MAIDS point out that blocked vision is an important factor in setting up accident scenarios. Don't just scan for vehicles that may pull out, instead also look for "blocked vision" situations that are more likely to actually create a collision situation.
yup. Living in a city delivery vans are always located illegally at intersections. Heightened awareness mode there despite 90% of the time not encountering traffic.
Also dont forget a major advantage of a motorcycle: quick acceleration, you can afford to brake and pass an intersection a little bit slower and get quickly get back to the speed limit. It isnt a truck which needs a bajillion seconds to accelerate back to the speed limit
I have only been in one accident that involved another vehicle, and blocked vision was one of the main contributing factors (the other vehicle was going significantly faster than the speed limit, and both drivers were inexperienced as well)
It also doesn't help at all that A pillars on cars now have been made so huge in the name of safety, that now we have trouble seeing out of our cars for the sake of "safety".
My dad's advice was to believe that everyone on the road was out to kill me the moment I start my bike. Hasn't failed me yet, 14 years since I took my license.
For this very reason I will move lane positions or jog left to right when coming up on an intersection to make sure I'm noticed. Our profile is smaller and lateral movement can catch the eye better when you're perceiving an oncoming object.
I’ve done that any I can swear it’s helped. On top of it, even if the speed limit is 45, I’ll sometimes go 35-40 to give myself more reaction time and decrease braking distance for if I’m violated
strong agree, this is the key that Ryan missed. A bit of weaving and headlight helps alert other drivers. I have a hi viz helmet and even bobble my head a bit.
After watching a video from MCRider about a similar topic, what I've started doing, is an in-lane weave in these situations. The eye is drawn to motion, and traditionally, an oncoming motorcycle doesn't show much motion, as Ryan stated. The weave earns me a lot of strange looks, but that's exactly what I desired; a look of recognition. Of course, I slow down and cover the brakes, as well. I swear that weave has saved me from injury though.
Isn't that weave called a SMIDSY? Which stands for "sorry mate I didn't see you." Highly recommend all watch this vid: ua-cam.com/video/eqQBubilSXU/v-deo.html&ab_channel=lbtv
The parallax is super helpful, as a car driver. Even though the apparent size remains nearly identical, the apparent movement of a bike that's 500 yards away or 50 feet away are DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT. (side note: If I can't tell how far away a bike is, I always assume it's close)
I rode as a courier (on a full size bike, 500 cc, then 400 cc when I replaced it) in Seattle for a couple years. I'd have been dead meat if I hadn't used a 10-speed for transportation for four years before getting my driver's license, thereby learning at the reflex level that a two-wheeler is *invisible.* If you assume motorists can't see you, it won't surprise you when they don't. Speed isn't the issue -- it's making unfounded assumptions about your visibility. Headlight doesn't help, either -- I ran my headlight 100% of the time when I was riding, even if I had a switch to turn it on and off. The only thing that helps is to remember that most drivers can't see you -- and the ones who can are *trying to kill you.*
I literally crashed my bike last night due to someone not checking they’re surrounding and turning right into my lane. So waking up to this video has me laughing in pain.
I'm biker myself and try to be careful and mindful about bikers. I drove my car into intersection and during the approach to it, I think I watched four times to both ways. Then when I almost continued without stopping just like second away I realized that there was big GS with passenger and they both wore hi-vis clothing and even hi-vis helmets. Scared the shit out of me and it was evident that biker got scared too, but luckily he didn't crash. Since that I've fully realized why stop signs should maybe exist in more bigger intersections which you can approach with modest speeds. It's not always about "cager" not checking surroundings. I almost caused myself crash there when biker was all time behind my cars A-pillar. Best to ride as I've been told. "Always assume that someone might turn in front of you, ALWAYS"
if you stop blaming others for your mistakes, you will become a better rider. It was likely your fault...riding too fast for your own vision/knowledge, not paying attention... etc if you are driving unfamiliar roads, go at or slower than the speed limit, because you don't know if there is a limited vision intersection. I truly am sorry you are hurt, but coddling your ego and not learning from this situation will only lead to another crash in the future.
Good video, Ryan. Very surprised you didn't mention the driver distance perception differences when anticipating the approach of a single headlight moto versus a dual headlight car or truck. A nearby single headlight can be misinterpreted as dual headlights very close together and far away. Conspicuity lights on a moto can help prevent that by creating a triangle of light that improves the driver's distance perception.
im assuming it came up in discussion and story boarding, but during the day, headlights are not always a tell tale sign. But the physical size/mass of the moving object stays the same, headlight or not. Also, the take away I got from it was, safety is always in your own hands.
VERY good video explaining politely and scientifically that WE are actually speeding (or relative speeding). Also, watch a lot of crash videos, they help immensely. There are a lot of typical scenarios that if you recognise while riding, you can handle safely.
Love this kind of perspective and video! One of the things I actually enjoy about riding is getting better at it, which also means me taking more responsibility for my ride. I try to take on as much responsibility for safety as possible when I ride and maintain a positive attitude because I’d rather ride defensively and not crash than be another rider with a tale to tell that begins with a variation of, “I had the right of way…”
I have sometimes used one eye to gauge what it’s like (I don’t take my stereoscopic vision for granted). The size increase was difficult to use soley. Other cures like the topic of this video suggest is to know the road I’m on and what a normal speed looks like as the vehicle passes by certain landmarks. So I bet knew roads are very difficult to evaluate that much more so.
For some reason here many older bikers ride with full beam on always. I'm always pissed off about this as that giant light ball makes assessing approaching bikers speed much much harder than if they'd just keep low beams on. I fully understand you.
Or figure out which lane they are in from a distance (without an obvious reference mark). Even worse on curves. Yes, I can see the vehicle approaching, but I don't really know where you are in the road.
Your videos are amazing. You deserve a lot more subs than you have. Every video is done with best quality and a lot of efford, and when I watch your video it's like watching a movie, every second is polished to perfection. A true Masterpiece
You know what? I had a feeling for some time and I think I finally got it put into words. This channel is like Cosmos for motorcycle. Behind all the jokes and humor there's actually very technical information being conveyed in a simple and easy to understand why.
Very informative and entertaining as always. I love to ride fast, when it’s appropriate. When it’s not appropriate is in traffic or near intersections. I assume that every other driver either doesn’t see me, or wants to kill me. Therefore my speed is ALWAYS limited by my ability to see and assess all the potential threats around me; if I don’t have time to properly assess each of those threats, I know I need to slow down. Whatever we think drivers should be doing, we need to be realistic about what they are doing. Even the most diligent drivers sometimes have trouble seeing us, but many are not diligent at all. Some drivers are nervous and erratic, some are just learning, some are too old to drive safely, some drive above their skills, some are distracted by passengers or devices, some are drunk or on drugs. No wonder so many drivers lack the focus and the skills to safely navigate an intersection. Give them every chance to see you. And if you really want to enjoy the ride and get the most out of your machine, get the hell out of the city! Greetings from Aldergrove.
While I agree with everything you've said in this vid, I firmly believe that there's another major factor that you didn't mention. When drivers are about to drive onto a road, they look left and right to see if "a car" is coming. Their brain is looking for "a car". They look right at you on the bike and they see you, but their brain is looking for a car. Their brain doesn't see "a car", so it says to the driver, "OK, pull out". In 60 years of motorcycle riding, I've had this happen to me many times. The driver looks right at me. I know he/she sees me, but they pull out anyway. Often, as they're doing it, they realize that they're doing it and a look of horror flashes on their face as they shout, "Oh SHIT!!!"
Fantastic explanation of a complex problem, with a relatively simple solution!! This helps explain why I haven't had many issues with this problem (I always assume that cagers WILL no shit, really this time, pull out in front of me) but I see this type of wreck all over UA-cam. Thanks for a fantastic new perspective on WHY it happens!!
Very interesting and informative. There was another study involving crows here in Australia. They wanted to reduce the number of bird strikes on a section of country roads in NSW, so they employed an ornithologist to study the situation. After studying the impact paint colour on the beaks etc of dead crows, he realised that the crows were all being hit by trucks and not cars. Crows, he found were highly organised and had a lookout bird to warn of oncoming traffic. Unfortunately for the crows, the lookout can say "Cahh!", but cannot say "Truck!". True story ...
Good Humor, The Magpies nicked my Benz Star a couple of summers ago. True story. Dropped it on the front lawn under the bird feeder. We were on the front porch early one morning watched it happen. Hit a Galah up in the flinders back in February, top of the helmet. It hurt. My rides a VMax Gen 1. Yes i was obeying the speed limits. Cheers
Excellent analysis. I never realised what actually makes perfect sense. The quick left-right-left scan is mostly a 2D image. I have two tactics to keep me safe: I assume they haven't seen me, and I do a little weave in the lane to simulate a bigger target. It probably also makes the driver think more carefully about entering the traffic because my movement is atypical in the situation.
Great video. I remember watching a "Street Smarts" roadcraft video which also explains stereopsis & the looming effect. You've taken it to a whole new level with the pigeon mask though!
I ride to work almost every day at nearly 100 miles each day. My closest calls weren’t with cars.. it was with deer. I recently saw a study where they painted deer antlers in reflective paint so that headlights would reflect off of them. Made for some cool creepy photos
Very cool, I thought it was more of 'I was small and they can't see me' instead of the depth perception part. I always move to the other side of the lane too when I see a car at a side street. Moves me further away from the car that could pull out at any moment and the sideways movement should make it easier to see me.
Watch out for gentle hills too, it can make it appear as though there is more road between you if they see it at an angle, and therefore you seem further away then you are
I've always thought of cars as being kinda like deer/turkeys. They act almost the same (erratic and nonsensical movements, poor awareness and judgement, etc.) so it's easier to predict and avoid them. Also if it were a deer in front of you you wouldn't blame it for cutting you off and go for your horn in frustration you'd just try to stop and avoid the accident altogether. Treating cars like animals helps me lower my own ego and take responsibility for my own safety, and keeps me from raging so bad, lol.
Hey OP, that's a great way of looking at it. If more riders (and drivers) would take personal responsibility of their actions and skills, then everyone would benefit.
I’ve only had experience on an old Honda 90. That was 45 years ago. I’ve been watching this channel for a couple months, no matter the subject, it’s always interesting. Well done, top notch production and topics. Funny too
This is actually something I've always done I slow down during intersections, gives the drivers a better time seeing me, gives me a better time to react, and I'm already loading my front tire, albeit slightly.
0:30 I nearly threw my mouse into my screen trying to grab the front brake with that vivid PTSD-like reminder of my motorcycle crash a few years back. Thx for the vid though
Sometimes when approaching an intersection I will try to make myself more visible by doing a within lane swerve. From lane position 1 to 3 and back, or vice vesra. This should be treated as full proof as blowing the horn, which means not full proof at all and is no substitute for maintaing escape paths, positioning for safety, and modulating speed. But the horizontal movement does help mimic a size increase similar to that of an approaching car, and may have some effect on catching the pidgeon eyed attention of a car ahead (for those car drivers not totally zoned out, which you should assume they are).
A great explanation for what I've suspected (and acted on for the last few years). If there's a car waiting at an 'intersection' (junction to us UK viewers), then I make sure that I'm travelling at an appropriate speed for a car on that section of road as I approach and pass. Coupled with changing postion in lane and auxillary lighting it seems to work well.
Too many comments to check if this has been offered before but one tip I learned years ago is not to approach a junction in a direct straight line if traffic is waiting or about to emerge. If safe to do so I always approach so I am also moving across the lane to some degree. Can be towards or away from the kerb and it doesn't have to be a huge diversion from straight ahead . This takes care of the "width of motorcycle" issue because I am more likely to enter the drivers field of vision (and having noted Ryan's pidgeon theory) perhaps allows the driver a chance to assess my speed and distance better. That said I fully support the "stick to the speed limit at junctions" recommendation too
Not long after I passed my bike test, I did some training runs with Class 1 police riders. To say "they know their stuff" doesn't even begin to describe how knowledgeable they are. One of the police riders had been part of the City of London motorcycle police for 11 years. Of the 12 who joined there were only 8 still alive, and only 2 were capable of riding motorcycles. He'd left that job, transferred and enjoyed riding around rural Devon a lot more than in London. One of the best things I took from that was never assume any other road user has seen you. Even with hi viz markings and jackets, blue flashing lights and sirens, drivers still weren't aware of motorcycles. When I rode, I always assumed people hadn't seen me, and I reckon that attitude kept me alive.
Props to whomever is color-grading all this footage! No easy task matching Go-Pro footage with DSLR, and god knows what else... AND giving it a nice "cinematic" grade to boot! Well done!
the more accidents i see involving motorcycles the conclusion is always "go slower" it literally doesnt matter in seemingly 95% of cases, excessive speed is pretty much always a factor. "too much" speed is also always relative because even going the speed limit can evidently be too fast
If you spend some time watching videos of bike accidents, you'll start to see that roughly half of them are the bikers going *way* faster than they should.. I mean by double or more. I will grant you that the other half or so are generally people assuming others will stop for you at intersections or lane changes, which is why I ride as if everyone's *trying* to hit me.
@@Bizzmark11 That sounds about right. I'd say about half the motorcycle crash videos I've seen are people lane filtering at 60 mph and then blaming the one guy that switches lanes.
In Finland riding and driving ed teaches the concept of "situational speed" == adjust your speed to fit the situation. If the situation seems dangerous, your speed should be much lower than the speed limit.
@@Bizzmark11 I honestly can't even watch videos like that anymore. Sooo many riders in them have massive ego's. They're going too fast everywhere they go and then when a cager inevitably doesn't see them they go baby rage ballistic mode.
@@Bizzmark11 you have to take into consideration that these kind of videos will be biased. People riding normal on their bike are not the riders with GoPros constantly filming. So it's to be expected that many crash videos you will see (at least the ones from the bikes perspective) will involve speeding idiots. But that doesn't mean that the majority of crashes overall involve speeding.
I have owned my CBR1100XX since 2003 and I ride fewer and fewer miles each year. Too many drivers out there where driving is the third most important thing they are doing. This video makes perfect sense in a dangerous world. Thanks.
Great video Ryan. I work in Road Traffic Collision investigation for insurance companies in the UK and we found that there's a potential problem with twin-headlamp bikes. The problem is this: if you're waiting to pull out of a junction and you see two lights in the distance you might easily assume it's a car with two headlamps and because these headlamps are usually spaced around 1.2m apart then our perception assumes that it's a car which is x distance away and we wait or pull-out accordingly. BUT, if we make that assumption and it turns out to be a bike with headlamps which are 8cm apart, then because that distance between headlamps is 15 times smaller, we perceive that the bike is 15 times further away. For example, the headlamps from a car at 300 metres will look, at first glance, similar to headlamps on a bike at 20 metres. So we think it's safe to pull out as there's a car at 300m away when in actual fact it turns out to be a bike at 20 metres away. I'd be interested in anyone's feedback or experience of this so we can add it to our research
Without a link to a survey page to a double blind study, what possibly useful data could you hope to get from youtube comments? You won't get anything more than tainted, biased input, the same you'd get from a post on Facebook
I have personally experienced the mis-perception of distance between myself and a motorcycle with a side by side pair of headlights. Thankfully we didn't collide. It was an eye opening lesson, decades ago.
@@jesseback3536 you, uh... Have you looked at any other motorcycle besides Harley and their 50 year old designs? Pretty much every Japanese and Italian motorcycle for the last like 20 years have been running them. OP's project is kinda weird since most dual headlamp designs shut off one of the headlights when running in low beam mode, with both lamps coming on for high beam only. It would mean that most of the time, only one light is physically working, and when running high beams, visually it's so bright you can't really tell them apart.
Thank you for putting this out there. When I taught people to ride in the past the first lesson was, "you are invisible and everyone wants to kill you". I know it sounds harsh but it is supposed to shake up the new rider into assessing how they interact with traffic in a deadly serious manner. I figured that out almost 50 years ago, it is the main reason I'm alive today.
I've always taken the exact same view. And I always tell other riders that is how you should always ride. I also add, 'you have no right of way'. Of course legally you do, but if don't want to get hurt, you can never enforce it.
I know my comment will probably get lost in the shuffle of thousands of comments but we really need a fortnine playlist. I spend a fair bit of time after watching most of Ryan's videos searching for the songs I heard. Chill wave has really been hitting me in feels lately and is perfect for twistie seshs.
Great video! This helped me understand the issue a vast majority of the population seems to struggle with but I have never understood. See, I have bad eyes and I come from a family that also has bad eyes. When learning how to drive I was taught never to glance with one eye but to turn and look carefully both ways twice before turning or proceeding down any intersection. Until this very moment I thought this was common practice and could not for the life of me understand why these types of accidents were so common. I suspected malice on the part of the car driver or recklessness on the motorcylist's part. Now that I understand differently, I will be keeping even more of a lookout when on the roads for car drivers who probably do not turn to see the small motorbike coming their way!
Great video, cars not only also have a front blind spot where the windshield is secured, but there is also a blindspot in our field of vision where the optic nerve connects to the eyeball and if a motorcycle just happens to be in either of those spots when the driver is scanning then they won't see the motorcyclist.
I've learned to see through other vehicles to avoid left turning cars blocked by other cars. Riding made me a better driver. I watch crash videos and so many crashes are completely avoidable in my opinion
from the other perspective, I've learned to not turn left in a car until I know for sure the space behind the car I'm waiting for to go straight isnt occupied by a tiny car or motorcycle. all it takes is patience and attention, both things many drivers could care less about.
Both of my accidents have been because of this. One pulled out from the shoulder and one pulled out from the median of a road. Now I always reduce speed dramatically if I even see a car up ahead either about to pull out or on a shoulder/median and always at intersections.
"Reduce speed dramatically" whenever there is a possibility of cross-vector movement. Watch ahead for sneaky driveways, side roads, other turn-off/enter road places. Be paranoid. And watch your mirrors: those behind you may not expect your sudden speed reduction.
Awesome as always! I also just learned about the "SMIDSY" weave or swerve. It makes the rider more noticeable due to the lateral movement within the lane. Flashing headlights isn't recommended since the driver could interpret that as permission to pull out. I have started doing SMIDSY when I see someone waiting to turn left across my path of travel or if a car is waiting to enter my lane direction from either side. Not sure it works but I haven't had an issue (and I like doing the little swerve with a purpose to it😎)
When I first learned how to ride someone told me. “Be careful, 90% of cars on the road won’t see you and the 10% that probably don’t like you. Ride accordingly.” Wise words that have helped keep me safe.
My Mitsubishi Colt is the same. Cars and pedestrians disappear into the pillar. My Toyota Camry has the same A pillar BUT they turn the angle so that the driver's vision isn't impaired.
Whenever I come close to an intersection and I get that "feel" that I'm potentially gonna get cut-off, whenever they look my way I raise my left hand at them in a quick greeting. They always look puzzled "Wat? who is this?" but it always achieves the effect. In their bewilderment they let me pass instead of cutting me off. Also, sometimes they wave back and i think its a pretty wholesome side-effect :)
I love this idea! I'm going to start do this as well!
Increased safety and more enjoyable ride. This is the way 👌🏻
I like this a lot. However, have you had anyone assume you are waving them in? Encouraging them to pull out?
not a bad idea. I tend to watch the front tire, but that doesn't account for the really aggressive or reckless types: the "Punch it Chewy!" drivers.
In my country you usually raise your hand to give priority. That would a disaster if you expect everyone to stop because of your "greetings"
Stoked that we are back in fortnine video season, the winter was too long
Isn't it winter up there like 11 months out of the year?
@@Psikeomega i hope you are joking..... many places in canada are warmer than like half of the states.
@@Gl-my8fw what? That is Sarcasm? Or just dead wrong lol
90% of Canadians live within 10 miles of the U.S. border.
Time to break out the volleyball oil
Ryan said what I was taught/learned, in a more positive manner. I say, “Assume no one sees you and everybody is TRYING to kill you.”
He said, “People can be like pigeons,” and explained how and why.
Beautifully and artfully done. Thank you!
Acting like everyone is actively out to get you is stupid. That attitude makes motorcyclists feel they are permitted to break motorists mirrors and windows. And people are, rightly, starting to get FUCKED UP for behaving like that.
This particular problem is 100% the fault and problem of bikers, not car drivers. If they assume that bikes are doing the same thing on the road as cars- they’re right! They fuckin should be!
I have been saying this for some time. I previously put it down to: drivers expect traffic to approach at or close to the speed limit and that will give them a certain amount of time for their action. Even speeding cars mess that up but are easier to see and judge. Motorcycles being harder to see, complicate things even more. Your pigeon theory adds to the problem and really fits. Plus one eye means less likely to even see the motorcycle behind the "A" pillar.
The A pillar is a big visibility problem, cyclists pedestrians and motorcycles are often obscured by it.
Even worse. If you're coming into intersection, it's possible for even careful driver to have several seconds lasting blindspot from A-pillar as you approach and if the other vehicle has unfortunately matching speed. I'm biker myself and try to be careful and mindful about bikers. I drove my car into intersection and during the approach to it, I think I watched four times to both ways. Then when I almost continued without stopping just like second away I realized that there was big GS with passenger and they both wore hi-vis clothing and even hi-vis helmets. Scared the shit out of me and it was evident that biker got scared too, but luckily he didn't crash. Since that I've fully realized why stop signs should maybe exist in more bigger intersections which you can approach with modest speeds.
Darn straight. When you speed, and suddenly people "don't see you" or "cut you off", you have to understand that speeding was a contributing factor.
Living in a country with abundant motorcyclists, I know for a fact that these drivers that are involved in these accidents are either:
a) entitled (pricks) people
b) beginner or lacking on experience
c) indecisive driver (stops midway)
d) tired or lack of attention or careless
As a regular driver of car and motorcycle for years, I have developed senses and judgment of how fast a motorcycle speed were. I can assure that these drivers involved in these intersection accidents always fall on those said categories.
And worse than it used to be. Pillars in a modern cars are much thicker than those of, say, 20 or 30 years ago. An older driver whose attention and health are perfect is still more likely to make the mistake of thinking that they can see more than they do. All of their training was on vehicles that did not have such large blind spots. Old types like me have to learn new tricks like tilting your head one way and the other around the pillars instead of just using your eyes. It is the difference between spotting somebody behind a tall fence post and spotting somebody behind a thick utility pole.
I love how Ryan takes the time to reference the studies and documents used for the video. Not only does he give credit where credit is due, but he shows his professionalism by backing up the points he makes in the video. Keep up the good work.
Yeah, but you kinda have to when linking pigeons to motorbikes....while wearing a pidgeon mask...and doing a pidgeon walk. Priceless!
I don’t think it’s just him, though, there’s a few people working on these videos
As you know... if you are going to say something on the internet... you need to have your sources at the ready.
@@scrrification That's right, I just watched an interview, Ryan mentions that he writes most of the stuff and his partner shoots and edits the videos.
@@louvega8414 Yeah, that makes sense, did you notice the guy in the back with the pigeon mask feeding the pigeons? It' s fucking hilarious.
4:20 "like imploring a deaf person to listen up"
That's how I lost my leg, honking at a deaf stop sign runner as we accelerated through each other.
When I started riding, I was given one piece of advice. "If it has more tires than you, it will actively try to kill you,". Always enjoy your videos, well done.
I like this
It seems to be common to be told something similar. The advice I was given was "Everyone on the road is an idiot and is out to get you". Motorcycle riders can be dangerous too, also animals. A pheasant nearly got me killed once.
The unicyclists are screwed.
Kill all unicycles
@@piraterubberduck6056 Stray dogs/cows, jay walkers and specially CHILDREN.
I feel like Ryan somehow managed to get his hands on a pigeon mask and HAD to do a video with it.
lol. He pulled off a useful enough video though
Gotta get that tax write off somehow
We get them at Candy stores like freaky lunchbox, I have a seagull one because I'm an east coaster lol
And it worked.
Or maybe....
office bet
When the MSF Basic Rider course was revised a few years ago, they added an exercise (#9, I believe) which is a demo by the rider coaches only to show the students the difference between the stopping distance (crash avoidance distance) was between going 15 MPH vs. 25 MPH at an intersection. It was adapted from the German MC training curriculum, and I think is was a very good addition to the course.
I remember that! I was the only person who came close at all, and that's because I was a defensive driving instructor in a previous life lol. It's scary to learn
Here in Brazil in motorcycle driving school you learn how to not drop the bike, how to not stall it and how to use the blinkers, all done in a closed circuit without any on road practice.
I love this guy's dialogue and delivery.
And he's cool without being over cool, or not just a tiny bit nerdy, and he makes motorcycling super interesting.
Yeah, what is the competition to be the coolest, hippest, sicqest -- it's driving me back to reading lately.
He also called you a pigeon.
First time here?
And this is why I won't regularly ride. I KNOW I will get hit. I've gotten hit enough times on a bicycle...
@@tanstaafl1960 The first vid I watched was the one about the bike with a Wankel engine, which was about 6 months ago.
I had a workplace accident 9 months ago and lost one of my eyes. Motorcycling is my passion and the one thing that keeps me looking forward to the future, going on trips and buying new bikes. I got back on the bike as soon as I could and have been riding again for the last 6 months. I'm riding as well as I ever have, just be aware that I do have reduced field of view (scan the road a bit more) and depth perception, a lot of that has been relearned subconsciously.
One eye view interestingly gives a cinematic effect. When you see the world with one eye it's like constantly watching a TV. But the downsides are reduced field of view and much more eyes movement like you said. Sometimes it gives headaches and cause anger.
Would you mind telling the nature of the workplace accident?
"Looking forward". Not a pun right?
Sorry. I will leave now.
I'm sorry to hear about the accident but i'm amazed (in a very good way) to hear how you perseveer to still be driving with, what is easiest to describe as, a disability, especially where it can be very important, and adapt to your new situation. I wish you the best!!
I only have one good eye (right) it sucks for shoulder checks, but I still ride and have adjusted and am a little more careful lane changing and turning. It is also a pia for off road, but at least we are still out riding!
I have to admit, the crash footage is always hard to watch. But showing it always adds to the power of the video. I don't even drive a motorcycle and this is a top five favourite channel on all of UA-cam for me. Every video is unbelievably informative, fun and engaging. Keep them up!
I think its fake
@@funnyepic7054Yes, the old advertisement is fake - using a dummy. The videos earlier are very much real of course.
Have you fixed the problem of not owning a motorcycle yet?
Asians enter the Chat:
Both eyes visible from a side profile because lack of nose bridge and flat face.
Source, I live in Asia.
@@cooliipie "Can humans really see our noses at all times but our brains learn to ignore it?
Yes, he is constantly in our field of vision and for good reason. If you don't focus on it, you won't be aware of its presence, because the calculations it is used for are done automatically, but it is essential for coordinating your visual inputs and the spatial arrangement in which you move . , such as crossing on streets or moderate height jumps, such as in the back of a van, because the system constantly calculates the point of impact. It also interfaces with your proprioceptive and vestibular systems. It is essentially the reference point from which spatial distances are calculated, you can call it the visual self."
The pigeon head feeding the pigeons in the background was hilarious.
Another quality video Ryan!
I have to say it I'm sorry but the birds he's feeding aren't pigeons :/
@@SwainixFPV I really wasn’t watching that closely lol
That was a trans pigeon - show some respect!
@@PLEASEMAKEANOTEOFIT wow you must so funny at parties
“I rather take my own responsibility”, that summarizes it all. Great video
This is a great way to explain what all us riders have experienced. A car pulls to an intersection 90 degrees from you, makes eye contact with you, and then pulls out right in front of you. Ride safe guys!
Thank you for the "near a intersection at least" mention. I like it when riders don't pretend. We all ride faster then the speed limit, pass cars in mountain passes in corners and straight lines,lane split even if its not allowed in our country. Paranoia helps staying alive on a motorcicle. Slowing down near a intersection or a crosswalk on when you see that texting driver and make sure he sees you when you overtake will increase your chance of survival. Ride safe!
Probably relevant to overtakes
I totally understand the practicality of motorcycles and the thrill, but I choose to ride around in a steel cage anyway. More margin of error for the things I can't control.
Not all of us speed, pass cars in corners, and lane split. The public roads are not your personal race track. Put on your big boy pants and go to an actual track.
Faster than the speed limit.
@@clarson2916 Yep, I live and ride the Mountains, and never have and never will pass on a blind corner or double yellow, and I sure as hell don't split lanes, not because it isn't legal, but because I really don't trust ANY cagers.
It's funny how being safe actually makes one a safer rider.
One trick is also useful, when observing standing cars, concentrate on the wheels. They have the largest movement compared to the car's speed and will be easiest to spot if the car starts to move. I usually first make sure that the driver saw me, then/otherwise I turn my focus on wheels.
Yes !
Been doing this for years now. Watch the wheels spin (or not). You will realize how few cars actually come to a complete stop even when it appears the entire car does.
Wheels never lie. Unless they have some kind of smooth disc rims... Eye contact is next to meaningless.
preferably the front wheels, in case they want to change lanes etc.
@@CSNCSNCSN Well, if the car's creeping and I see that he/she looked at me and then the car stops, that's it for me, I'm fairly sure he/she won't cut me. My 30 year experience.
As a rider in a country consistently ranked as #1 in motorcycle if not road fatalities, I don't actually treat junctions any more carefully than anywhere else - that is that anyone in any type of vehicle, can do anything, anywhere, at any time, so it's up to me to be acutely aware, everywhere, all the time. I just assume that no one ever sees me, no one knows how fast I'm going and, most importantly, they're all out to get me. Stay safe!
But how can I show everyone that I am an ultimate rider? Shouldn't they adjust to me all the time and they should ALWAYS see me. EVERY DRIVER should know that my RIDING LIFE is much more fun than their 4 wheel vehicle. I HAVE ZERO RESPECT FOR EVERYONE AND THEY SHOULD RESPECT MY SHIT AND ALWAYS ADJUST FOR ME!
I should be able to go fast whenever I want, wherever I want, no?
Exactly! Me too!!!
I used to ride quite a a bit and you’re absolutely correct. Staying alive whilst riding requires my full attention and the assumption that everyone is susceptible to not seeing me, all the time. This has kept me alive, so I’m either very lucky, or defensive riding actually has merit.
TRUTH!
@@2GreeDiethat's the mindset that consequences fatality . If only I were to assume that the other person is a dumb f*ck and won't heed to my needs , I might just survive . Anyway , blaming yourself while riding is the way to ride securely.
That guy in the background😂
Part of the experiment!
That was a pigeon bro
@@edjackson4389 Definitely not a pigeon I want pooping on my car!
@@HostileTakeover2 That pigeon doesn't just poop on cars. It leaves Amber Heard style grumpies
Great video! Love the ever present “pigeon” in the background. Long ago I realized if I was going to ride motorcycles on public roads and wanted to stay alive I had to ride like everyone else doesn’t see me, and if by chance they do, they want to kill me.
What do you mean "like" ;-)
Thats how my motorcycle instructor taught our class in Northern Massachusetts back in the late 1980's all cars are out to try to kill you.
Another really useful tip I first saw from DanDanTheFireman is to weave left to right and back in your lain when approaching an intersection. It makes the vision field for your motorcycle larger, so hopefully other drivers will see you coming. I still use that at intersections where cars will be turning left over oncoming traffic. And when approaching a road and seeing a car wanting to come in from the side.
also has the advantage of being allot more motion, which grabs attention way better.
alright, this is a great tip. ill be sure to use it in the future lol
All modern motorcycles have super bright headlights that are always on, even during the day. I think there is a statistic somewhere where having a headlight on actually dramatically increases visibility. Lights register in people's heads, even when they don't realize it.
Love the walking helmet guy in the backgrounds. Great content, simple and oh so true.
I had to rewind a few times to make sure I saw that guy on the rock. I thought I was seeing things that weren't there.
I don't know what you mean, I only ever saw a pidgeon.
@@Kalebshadeslayer Actually, that was probably just Chicken Boo on vacation.
And the gorilla walking across the shot was hilarious too
@@rotoehu9266 I understand that reference
When I approach a car that might pull out in front of me, I weave in my lane. That "widens" the width of my bike and adds additional movement to attract the eye. Plus the cagers probably wonder what's wrong with me, hopefully forcing them to think about my presence more.
I remember there being a British or Australian safety video that talked about doing this and also went into detail about why vertical objects like motorcycles tend to "disappear" in people's minds.
I too was taught to weave a little (reasoning being the windscreen pillar), and when training as a bus driver was taught to look by turning my whole head (not by my car instructor).
Yes, glad you mentioned that. Also, when travelling on long trips on boring roads, it alleviates the zombie effect by requiring the rider to focus rather than daydream.
It indeed is a British video. This type of accident happens so often, it's gotten it's own term: SMIDSY: "Sory Mate, I Didn't See You." Very educational video that also explains why bright color gear can work for you and against you depending on your background.
That is a good and useful maneuver, I also use it sometimes and it mostly works.
Ages ago I read about the dragonfly effect, a fly can't spot the predatory dragonfly because from the front it's like a single dot, the long body is not visible and the fluttering transparent wings are a blur. It's like trying to spot an arrow flying at you.
People at intersections, and it's not just cars, motorcycles and pedestrians have the same problem. Only when you show them the side of the motorcycle, the brain tells them something tangible is coming at them and they react.
There are more factors in this situation, even the respect for the law and other people's life, people tend not to give right of way even to deadly trucks, but this problem is a big part of the survival agenda for us.
fortnine did a video about why Motorcyclists dissapear actually
RyanF9-(Good Job, as always...) I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair (couldn't come up with a valid "Z") and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
I'm literally doing an online motorcycle course thanks to you!!! Thank you for turning me towards this expensive, exciting, amazing hobby!
Welcome to bike life man, ride safe and have fun!
I've done several classes of different formats over the years, even some repeats. The most basic of classes have been worth every penny, every single time.
People who add “literally” to everything they say 🤦🏿♂️
You can't learn to ride online ! Dude, you need to get out there and literally ride the damn bike !
Have fun, be safe.
What online course are you taking? Do you like it? Do you feel that it will help you be a safer rider? I would be interested to know more details, please.
I’ve learned more about physics, science and life from Ryan’s videos than I’d care to admit.
Splendid start to my Saturday!
And humour too
The single most important axiom for riding a street bike: No matter the law...no matter the rules of the road...no matter who's 'right'...if you argue with a car, you are instantly afforded all of the protections, perks and privileges of a high speed pedestrian with a helmet on.
Best advice I was told was to treat every car like you're invisible. But now it has to be to treat every car like they're a pigeon
Yes. Always assume that someone might turn in front of you, whatever the "feel" you have about if the other has seen you.
Well that's because you are. I've had drivers look right at me and pull out. I'm constantly looking for escape paths incase.
i tell new riders 1-assume the driver can't see you, 2. assume they can see you and want to hit you, 3. look where you want to go
You're right. Fort9 has a video on the invisibility training topic too. It's a bit old, yet gold.
The dude walking around with the pigeon head in the background. I'm crying laughing. For me, there is no greater producer of content on the internet than you guys. I look forward to these like...like a ride on a warm day with open curving roads.
This is exactly how I crashed last year. Ever since, I have it in the back of my mind that I'm invisible and also, I use other cars as a shield at intersections whenever possible!
How do you go about using other cars as shields? If you don't mind me asking.
@@YamyHaw I'm guessing ride behind them into the intersection? So that they see the car in front of you at least?
@@sergej2850 Good strategy, I had a scooter in highschool and rode around cars frequently.
Scooters are even less visible then cars, especially in a rural-ish area.
Sometimes, being patient and letting cars have the right away to pass in front of you, yield at intersections and signal them to ‘go ahead’ and always be vigilant is the best bike strategy.
Just a food for thought. Of course, my mom always also told me “Drivers dont see you, they see cars.” and that is about as good advice as the pigeon principle tbh. Heck, I got into more accidents hurting myself then others hurting me lmao😂
@@YamyHaw you stay on the side of a car so they have to hit the car before hitting you, I do that on my bicycle
@@doctorprepper8106Have a buddy at work who had the car next to him slam into him after it got t-boned instead of him.
Obviously better than if he had been t-boned, but he still got in a wreck regardless
Matches up with my experience of 10 years as a London bike courier in the 1990s (GT550 ftw). Always treated cars, buses and, particularly, taxis as "out to get me", never assumed "he's seen me" or "he won't pull out on me" and knew that on a wet, oily or gravelly road, you're going down, so don't wear t-shirt and flip-flops on a ZZR. Even so, if I think back to some of the things I did in London traffic, I don't know how I survived. Nice to see you doing more frequent videos again.
we need people like you around
Brilliant content as always. I appreciate Fortnine's mix of fun, educational, and artistic videos. Keep it up!
My favourite content creator as of late. All videos are so masterfully shot and presented in interesting ways.
I've never even ridden a motorcycle yet I watch most videos lol. Probably because they are, as you've said, expertly made. Not just some rambling stuff about motorcycles that come close to an advertisement, but in depth explanation of the physics and engineering behind it.
Great track selection, perfectly pulling us in at the start and enticing us to want more at the end! As always, the details are on point. Love the content!
This explains why I've always had to look twice to know how fast, how far away, and in what lane a motorcycle is. I wondered if it was an issue with my vision, but I guess you'd call it a feature. Fascinating!
no matter how fast I ride, I always slow down and pay more attention near intersections and blind spots where people and cars might pull up, and it saved my countless times.
my riding buddy always comment on how weird I ride, suddenly fast and suddenly slow, it seems that he doesn't realize the potential hazards ahead, makes sense why he had many accidents.
Every video Ryan makes is a must watch. Can't say that about many youtubers.
Almost everyone seeks fulfillment in their chosen line of work. I envy Ryan ......he likely has saved hundreds of motorcyclists' lives with his 5 minute video. Keep 'em coming!
Dude your storytelling and even thinking of the concept is pure genius! Very few channels can even touch that. Kudos and thanks for making such content!
Amongst moto channels - yes. But there are a number of YT channels on other subjects with similar style of storytelling. Try 'Rare Earth' (travel) for example.
The best bit of driving advice I was ever given was "Drive predictably"
Great video!! Useful knowledge. After 40+ years of riding, I've concluded: If your safety is dependent on the good judgement, or even grace, of the other drivers around you, you are going too fast.
*too fast. (took me a minute to decode.)
@@economicprisoner I had one like that earlier today - causal vs casual. I thought I was going to suffer a brain bleed trying to decipher the meaning.
Pretty much. Treat everyone around you as if they're blind. It's served me well for my 35+ years on two wheels (and four).
Yep, my major dismissal of the loud pipes brigade, you think they can't see you, but your prepared to believe that the supposition (debatable at best) that they may hear you will save you?
@@economicprisoner Yep, typo. But thanks for pointing it out.
The crash scenario you set up at 0:46 is also a perfect example of blocked vision contributing to serious accidents. Motorcycle accident studies like MAIDS point out that blocked vision is an important factor in setting up accident scenarios. Don't just scan for vehicles that may pull out, instead also look for "blocked vision" situations that are more likely to actually create a collision situation.
yup. Living in a city delivery vans are always located illegally at intersections.
Heightened awareness mode there despite 90% of the time not encountering traffic.
Also dont forget a major advantage of a motorcycle: quick acceleration, you can afford to brake and pass an intersection a little bit slower and get quickly get back to the speed limit. It isnt a truck which needs a bajillion seconds to accelerate back to the speed limit
I have only been in one accident that involved another vehicle, and blocked vision was one of the main contributing factors (the other vehicle was going significantly faster than the speed limit, and both drivers were inexperienced as well)
It also doesn't help at all that A pillars on cars now have been made so huge in the name of safety, that now we have trouble seeing out of our cars for the sake of "safety".
My daughter is an ICU nurse and just had a Tbone accident like this. Great video, we need the reminder that its our job to watch out for us riders.
My father's advice when I started riding on the street was to remember that there are 2 types of laws: Human laws and Physics. Physics always wins.
...Unless your name is Toni Bou.
My dad's advice was to believe that everyone on the road was out to kill me the moment I start my bike. Hasn't failed me yet, 14 years since I took my license.
For this very reason I will move lane positions or jog left to right when coming up on an intersection to make sure I'm noticed. Our profile is smaller and lateral movement can catch the eye better when you're perceiving an oncoming object.
I’ve done that any I can swear it’s helped. On top of it, even if the speed limit is 45, I’ll sometimes go 35-40 to give myself more reaction time and decrease braking distance for if I’m violated
strong agree, this is the key that Ryan missed. A bit of weaving and headlight helps alert other drivers. I have a hi viz helmet and even bobble my head a bit.
Sticking with the bird theme, raptors will fly straight at their prey to AVOID being seen. Weave, it works.
As a random french rider, i believe this video is a public service and thus shall be state funded. Thanks for the research.
As a cyclist this is still a very valuable video. Keep up the safety videos!
After watching a video from MCRider about a similar topic, what I've started doing, is an in-lane weave in these situations. The eye is drawn to motion, and traditionally, an oncoming motorcycle doesn't show much motion, as Ryan stated. The weave earns me a lot of strange looks, but that's exactly what I desired; a look of recognition. Of course, I slow down and cover the brakes, as well. I swear that weave has saved me from injury though.
I do the same. It does seem to get me seen/noticed more.
Learned the same thing simply as a cyclist. Moving side to side, and standing up, makes you way more visible.
i agree
Isn't that weave called a SMIDSY? Which stands for "sorry mate I didn't see you." Highly recommend all watch this vid: ua-cam.com/video/eqQBubilSXU/v-deo.html&ab_channel=lbtv
The parallax is super helpful, as a car driver. Even though the apparent size remains nearly identical, the apparent movement of a bike that's 500 yards away or 50 feet away are DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT. (side note: If I can't tell how far away a bike is, I always assume it's close)
I rode as a courier (on a full size bike, 500 cc, then 400 cc when I replaced it) in Seattle for a couple years. I'd have been dead meat if I hadn't used a 10-speed for transportation for four years before getting my driver's license, thereby learning at the reflex level that a two-wheeler is *invisible.* If you assume motorists can't see you, it won't surprise you when they don't. Speed isn't the issue -- it's making unfounded assumptions about your visibility. Headlight doesn't help, either -- I ran my headlight 100% of the time when I was riding, even if I had a switch to turn it on and off.
The only thing that helps is to remember that most drivers can't see you -- and the ones who can are *trying to kill you.*
I literally crashed my bike last night due to someone not checking they’re surrounding and turning right into my lane. So waking up to this video has me laughing in pain.
That sucks.. But at least you're laughing :) Get well soon!
I'm biker myself and try to be careful and mindful about bikers. I drove my car into intersection and during the approach to it, I think I watched four times to both ways. Then when I almost continued without stopping just like second away I realized that there was big GS with passenger and they both wore hi-vis clothing and even hi-vis helmets. Scared the shit out of me and it was evident that biker got scared too, but luckily he didn't crash. Since that I've fully realized why stop signs should maybe exist in more bigger intersections which you can approach with modest speeds. It's not always about "cager" not checking surroundings. I almost caused myself crash there when biker was all time behind my cars A-pillar. Best to ride as I've been told. "Always assume that someone might turn in front of you, ALWAYS"
Hope you get back on the saddle soon Snake 😎😉
if you stop blaming others for your mistakes, you will become a better rider. It was likely your fault...riding too fast for your own vision/knowledge, not paying attention... etc
if you are driving unfamiliar roads, go at or slower than the speed limit, because you don't know if there is a limited vision intersection.
I truly am sorry you are hurt, but coddling your ego and not learning from this situation will only lead to another crash in the future.
@@mm6705 hilarious that you managed to know all of those details without knowing any of the details
Good video, Ryan. Very surprised you didn't mention the driver distance perception differences when anticipating the approach of a single headlight moto versus a dual headlight car or truck. A nearby single headlight can be misinterpreted as dual headlights very close together and far away. Conspicuity lights on a moto can help prevent that by creating a triangle of light that improves the driver's distance perception.
He talked about it in another video
He mentioned that in the invisibility video.
Is it MotoTrek video season soon?
im assuming it came up in discussion and story boarding, but during the day, headlights are not always a tell tale sign. But the physical size/mass of the moving object stays the same, headlight or not. Also, the take away I got from it was, safety is always in your own hands.
Creating movement ( swerving in lane) and lane positioning more towards the center helps ( vid by mcrider) to.
VERY good video explaining politely and scientifically that WE are actually speeding (or relative speeding). Also, watch a lot of crash videos, they help immensely. There are a lot of typical scenarios that if you recognise while riding, you can handle safely.
Love this kind of perspective and video! One of the things I actually enjoy about riding is getting better at it, which also means me taking more responsibility for my ride. I try to take on as much responsibility for safety as possible when I ride and maintain a positive attitude because I’d rather ride defensively and not crash than be another rider with a tale to tell that begins with a variation of, “I had the right of way…”
As a monocular rider/driver, I have to say: it is F*ing hard to evaluate the speeds of vehicles.
I have sometimes used one eye to gauge what it’s like (I don’t take my stereoscopic vision for granted). The size increase was difficult to use soley. Other cures like the topic of this video suggest is to know the road I’m on and what a normal speed looks like as the vehicle passes by certain landmarks.
So I bet knew roads are very difficult to evaluate that much more so.
For some reason here many older bikers ride with full beam on always. I'm always pissed off about this as that giant light ball makes assessing approaching bikers speed much much harder than if they'd just keep low beams on. I fully understand you.
Or figure out which lane they are in from a distance (without an obvious reference mark). Even worse on curves.
Yes, I can see the vehicle approaching, but I don't really know where you are in the road.
Your videos are amazing. You deserve a lot more subs than you have. Every video is done with best quality and a lot of efford, and when I watch your video it's like watching a movie, every second is polished to perfection. A true Masterpiece
You know what? I had a feeling for some time and I think I finally got it put into words. This channel is like Cosmos for motorcycle. Behind all the jokes and humor there's actually very technical information being conveyed in a simple and easy to understand why.
Very informative and entertaining as always. I love to ride fast, when it’s appropriate. When it’s not appropriate is in traffic or near intersections. I assume that every other driver either doesn’t see me, or wants to kill me. Therefore my speed is ALWAYS limited by my ability to see and assess all the potential threats around me; if I don’t have time to properly assess each of those threats, I know I need to slow down. Whatever we think drivers should be doing, we need to be realistic about what they are doing. Even the most diligent drivers sometimes have trouble seeing us, but many are not diligent at all. Some drivers are nervous and erratic, some are just learning, some are too old to drive safely, some drive above their skills, some are distracted by passengers or devices, some are drunk or on drugs. No wonder so many drivers lack the focus and the skills to safely navigate an intersection. Give them every chance to see you. And if you really want to enjoy the ride and get the most out of your machine, get the hell out of the city! Greetings from Aldergrove.
Every time I get on the bike I assume that drivers won't see me and I ride expecting that.
It's true, some people don't 'see' us, others just don't give a f*ck!
Your video should be included in every motorcycle safety class.
While I agree with everything you've said in this vid, I firmly believe that there's another major factor that you didn't mention. When drivers are about to drive onto a road, they look left and right to see if "a car" is coming. Their brain is looking for "a car". They look right at you on the bike and they see you, but their brain is looking for a car. Their brain doesn't see "a car", so it says to the driver, "OK, pull out". In 60 years of motorcycle riding, I've had this happen to me many times. The driver looks right at me. I know he/she sees me, but they pull out anyway. Often, as they're doing it, they realize that they're doing it and a look of horror flashes on their face as they shout, "Oh SHIT!!!"
A counterintuitive type of muscle memory huh?
Same here, they will look right through you.....
Fantastic explanation of a complex problem, with a relatively simple solution!! This helps explain why I haven't had many issues with this problem (I always assume that cagers WILL no shit, really this time, pull out in front of me) but I see this type of wreck all over UA-cam. Thanks for a fantastic new perspective on WHY it happens!!
Also if you are going at the speed limit or slower, then your stopping distance will be quite short.
One hell of an insightful video bro. Treat all cars as hazards. Near intersections anyway 😅
Recently found this gem of a channel. Can't believe the brilliant and informative content are free. Kudos to you and your team!
I highly recommend you go back and watch all his older videos, they're amazing!
I've watched loads of DanDanTheFireman's videos and it's quite comforting to realise that most of the crashes are from the biker's excessive speed.
Omgosh the Canadian spring foliage in the back ground is stunning!
Never heard this problem broken down, awesome video 🤙🏻
Very interesting and informative. There was another study involving crows here in Australia. They wanted to reduce the number of bird strikes on a section of country roads in NSW, so they employed an ornithologist to study the situation. After studying the impact paint colour on the beaks etc of dead crows, he realised that the crows were all being hit by trucks and not cars. Crows, he found were highly organised and had a lookout bird to warn of oncoming traffic. Unfortunately for the crows, the lookout can say "Cahh!", but cannot say "Truck!". True story ...
Good Humor, The Magpies nicked my Benz Star a couple of summers ago. True story. Dropped it on the front lawn under the bird feeder. We were on the front porch early one morning watched it happen. Hit a Galah up in the flinders back in February, top of the helmet. It hurt. My rides a VMax Gen 1. Yes i was obeying the speed limits. Cheers
so they have no chance of saying Motorcycle then!
Excellent analysis. I never realised what actually makes perfect sense. The quick left-right-left scan is mostly a 2D image. I have two tactics to keep me safe: I assume they haven't seen me, and I do a little weave in the lane to simulate a bigger target. It probably also makes the driver think more carefully about entering the traffic because my movement is atypical in the situation.
Great video. I remember watching a "Street Smarts" roadcraft video which also explains stereopsis & the looming effect. You've taken it to a whole new level with the pigeon mask though!
I ride to work almost every day at nearly 100 miles each day. My closest calls weren’t with cars.. it was with deer. I recently saw a study where they painted deer antlers in reflective paint so that headlights would reflect off of them. Made for some cool creepy photos
Imagine they paint your antlers and you can't get a doe any more.
Best Motorcyle channel on the internet. Fact.
Very cool, I thought it was more of 'I was small and they can't see me' instead of the depth perception part. I always move to the other side of the lane too when I see a car at a side street. Moves me further away from the car that could pull out at any moment and the sideways movement should make it easier to see me.
Watch out for gentle hills too, it can make it appear as though there is more road between you if they see it at an angle, and therefore you seem further away then you are
"They don't show much enlargement until they're about to bang"
Felt that one on a personal level
I've always thought of cars as being kinda like deer/turkeys. They act almost the same (erratic and nonsensical movements, poor awareness and judgement, etc.) so it's easier to predict and avoid them.
Also if it were a deer in front of you you wouldn't blame it for cutting you off and go for your horn in frustration you'd just try to stop and avoid the accident altogether. Treating cars like animals helps me lower my own ego and take responsibility for my own safety, and keeps me from raging so bad, lol.
same kinda driver acting squirrely in a car is acting squirrelly on a bike. be vigilante for all squirrely non-squirrels.
Hey OP, that's a great way of looking at it. If more riders (and drivers) would take personal responsibility of their actions and skills, then everyone would benefit.
Nice. I like this. Or here in Australia it’d be a Kangaroo/Emu
Yup, you can't outmatch stupid/incompetent but you can predict it and act accordingly, great video as usual
I’ve only had experience on an old Honda 90. That was 45 years ago.
I’ve been watching this channel for a couple months, no matter the subject, it’s always interesting. Well done, top notch production and topics. Funny too
This gives me hope there'll be more frequent uploads again 🙂 Thx for another editing masterpiece, you rock 💪
This is actually something I've always done I slow down during intersections, gives the drivers a better time seeing me, gives me a better time to react, and I'm already loading my front tire, albeit slightly.
0:30 I nearly threw my mouse into my screen trying to grab the front brake with that vivid PTSD-like reminder of my motorcycle crash a few years back. Thx for the vid though
Love the videos man thanks for what you and your team do!
Yup, pretty much always assume the car doesn't see you until you make eye contact, and even then...
Sometimes when approaching an intersection I will try to make myself more visible by doing a within lane swerve. From lane position 1 to 3 and back, or vice vesra. This should be treated as full proof as blowing the horn, which means not full proof at all and is no substitute for maintaing escape paths, positioning for safety, and modulating speed. But the horizontal movement does help mimic a size increase similar to that of an approaching car, and may have some effect on catching the pidgeon eyed attention of a car ahead (for those car drivers not totally zoned out, which you should assume they are).
I LOVE that you guys are putting out more content! When can we expect the new helmet reviews?
Probably June! Still waiting on a couple helmets I want to test to arrive. ~RF9
A great explanation for what I've suspected (and acted on for the last few years). If there's a car waiting at an 'intersection' (junction to us UK viewers), then I make sure that I'm travelling at an appropriate speed for a car on that section of road as I approach and pass. Coupled with changing postion in lane and auxillary lighting it seems to work well.
Too many comments to check if this has been offered before but one tip I learned years ago is not to approach a junction in a direct straight line if traffic is waiting or about to emerge. If safe to do so I always approach so I am also moving across the lane to some degree. Can be towards or away from the kerb and it doesn't have to be a huge diversion from straight ahead . This takes care of the "width of motorcycle" issue because I am more likely to enter the drivers field of vision (and having noted Ryan's pidgeon theory) perhaps allows the driver a chance to assess my speed and distance better. That said I fully support the "stick to the speed limit at junctions" recommendation too
Straight in point. I had a crash when my pigeon didn't see me coming from left and jaw was broke in three. Nice to watch, best regards from Poland 🇵🇱👍
Not long after I passed my bike test, I did some training runs with Class 1 police riders. To say "they know their stuff" doesn't even begin to describe how knowledgeable they are.
One of the police riders had been part of the City of London motorcycle police for 11 years. Of the 12 who joined there were only 8 still alive, and only 2 were capable of riding motorcycles. He'd left that job, transferred and enjoyed riding around rural Devon a lot more than in London.
One of the best things I took from that was never assume any other road user has seen you.
Even with hi viz markings and jackets, blue flashing lights and sirens, drivers still weren't aware of motorcycles.
When I rode, I always assumed people hadn't seen me, and I reckon that attitude kept me alive.
Props to whomever is color-grading all this footage! No easy task matching Go-Pro footage with DSLR, and god knows what else... AND giving it a nice "cinematic" grade to boot! Well done!
the more accidents i see involving motorcycles the conclusion is always "go slower"
it literally doesnt matter in seemingly 95% of cases, excessive speed is pretty much always a factor. "too much" speed is also always relative because even going the speed limit can evidently be too fast
If you spend some time watching videos of bike accidents, you'll start to see that roughly half of them are the bikers going *way* faster than they should.. I mean by double or more. I will grant you that the other half or so are generally people assuming others will stop for you at intersections or lane changes, which is why I ride as if everyone's *trying* to hit me.
@@Bizzmark11 That sounds about right. I'd say about half the motorcycle crash videos I've seen are people lane filtering at 60 mph and then blaming the one guy that switches lanes.
In Finland riding and driving ed teaches the concept of "situational speed" == adjust your speed to fit the situation. If the situation seems dangerous, your speed should be much lower than the speed limit.
@@Bizzmark11 I honestly can't even watch videos like that anymore. Sooo many riders in them have massive ego's. They're going too fast everywhere they go and then when a cager inevitably doesn't see them they go baby rage ballistic mode.
@@Bizzmark11 you have to take into consideration that these kind of videos will be biased.
People riding normal on their bike are not the riders with GoPros constantly filming.
So it's to be expected that many crash videos you will see (at least the ones from the bikes perspective) will involve speeding idiots.
But that doesn't mean that the majority of crashes overall involve speeding.
I have owned my CBR1100XX since 2003 and I ride fewer and fewer miles each year. Too many drivers out there where driving is the third most important thing they are doing. This video makes perfect sense in a dangerous world. Thanks.
Great video Ryan. I work in Road Traffic Collision investigation for insurance companies in the UK and we found that there's a potential problem with twin-headlamp bikes. The problem is this: if you're waiting to pull out of a junction and you see two lights in the distance you might easily assume it's a car with two headlamps and because these headlamps are usually spaced around 1.2m apart then our perception assumes that it's a car which is x distance away and we wait or pull-out accordingly. BUT, if we make that assumption and it turns out to be a bike with headlamps which are 8cm apart, then because that distance between headlamps is 15 times smaller, we perceive that the bike is 15 times further away.
For example, the headlamps from a car at 300 metres will look, at first glance, similar to headlamps on a bike at 20 metres. So we think it's safe to pull out as there's a car at 300m away when in actual fact it turns out to be a bike at 20 metres away. I'd be interested in anyone's feedback or experience of this so we can add it to our research
Without a link to a survey page to a double blind study, what possibly useful data could you hope to get from youtube comments? You won't get anything more than tainted, biased input, the same you'd get from a post on Facebook
Ryan covered that in another video, but you're right!
I have personally experienced the mis-perception of distance between myself and a motorcycle with a side by side pair of headlights. Thankfully we didn't collide. It was an eye opening lesson, decades ago.
I've never seen a bike with two headlights.
@@jesseback3536 you, uh... Have you looked at any other motorcycle besides Harley and their 50 year old designs? Pretty much every Japanese and Italian motorcycle for the last like 20 years have been running them.
OP's project is kinda weird since most dual headlamp designs shut off one of the headlights when running in low beam mode, with both lamps coming on for high beam only. It would mean that most of the time, only one light is physically working, and when running high beams, visually it's so bright you can't really tell them apart.
Thank you for putting this out there. When I taught people to ride in the past the first lesson was, "you are invisible and everyone wants to kill you". I know it sounds harsh but it is supposed to shake up the new rider into assessing how they interact with traffic in a deadly serious manner. I figured that out almost 50 years ago, it is the main reason I'm alive today.
I've always taken the exact same view. And I always tell other riders that is how you should always ride. I also add, 'you have no right of way'. Of course legally you do, but if don't want to get hurt, you can never enforce it.
I know my comment will probably get lost in the shuffle of thousands of comments but we really need a fortnine playlist. I spend a fair bit of time after watching most of Ryan's videos searching for the songs I heard. Chill wave has really been hitting me in feels lately and is perfect for twistie seshs.
loving the background guy lmao
Great video! This helped me understand the issue a vast majority of the population seems to struggle with but I have never understood. See, I have bad eyes and I come from a family that also has bad eyes. When learning how to drive I was taught never to glance with one eye but to turn and look carefully both ways twice before turning or proceeding down any intersection. Until this very moment I thought this was common practice and could not for the life of me understand why these types of accidents were so common. I suspected malice on the part of the car driver or recklessness on the motorcylist's part. Now that I understand differently, I will be keeping even more of a lookout when on the roads for car drivers who probably do not turn to see the small motorbike coming their way!
Great video, cars not only also have a front blind spot where the windshield is secured, but there is also a blindspot in our field of vision where the optic nerve connects to the eyeball and if a motorcycle just happens to be in either of those spots when the driver is scanning then they won't see the motorcyclist.
I've learned to see through other vehicles to avoid left turning cars blocked by other cars. Riding made me a better driver. I watch crash videos and so many crashes are completely avoidable in my opinion
Riding a motorcycle has DEFINITELY made me a more observant car driver.
from the other perspective, I've learned to not turn left in a car until I know for sure the space behind the car I'm waiting for to go straight isnt occupied by a tiny car or motorcycle. all it takes is patience and attention, both things many drivers could care less about.
@@lachlanhudson7404 that’s forward thinking at its best. Have a great day sir
yeah I find that most crashes require two people making mistakes at the same time
Both of my accidents have been because of this. One pulled out from the shoulder and one pulled out from the median of a road. Now I always reduce speed dramatically if I even see a car up ahead either about to pull out or on a shoulder/median and always at intersections.
You'll live a long time...and get to enjoy riding 🤘
"Reduce speed dramatically" whenever there is a possibility of cross-vector movement. Watch ahead for sneaky driveways, side roads, other turn-off/enter road places. Be paranoid. And watch your mirrors: those behind you may not expect your sudden speed reduction.
Awesome as always!
I also just learned about the "SMIDSY" weave or swerve. It makes the rider more noticeable due to the lateral movement within the lane. Flashing headlights isn't recommended since the driver could interpret that as permission to pull out. I have started doing SMIDSY when I see someone waiting to turn left across my path of travel or if a car is waiting to enter my lane direction from either side. Not sure it works but I haven't had an issue (and I like doing the little swerve with a purpose to it😎)
When I first learned how to ride someone told me. “Be careful, 90% of cars on the road won’t see you and the 10% that probably don’t like you. Ride accordingly.” Wise words that have helped keep me safe.
A pillars keep getting wider and wider, a whole car can disappear in them now, a bike has no chance.
My Mitsubishi Colt is the same. Cars and pedestrians disappear into the pillar. My Toyota Camry has the same A pillar BUT they turn the angle so that the driver's vision isn't impaired.