White helmet.

[OnlyYamahas]

Talking to a couple of bikers one said no matter what you wear car drivers will not always see you and pull out.He said a copper was wearing hi viz the lot and was pulled out on and knocked off.Another disagreed and said get a white helmet it's safer .Mines an old black one , should I buy a white one because due a new one. .Thanks

[veracocha]

I have only been riding 18 months. Maybe coincidence but since changing to a darker helmet two weeks ago I have had two close shaves. It didn't happen with my white helmet. However, I have a high-viz helite jacket so not sure if the helmet colour made a difference. What I am sure about is that I have seen bikers far more clearly when they are donned in high-viz or white helmets.  If the driver isn't looking then I don't imagine the colour of your apparel makes a difference. 

[bonio]

It's true that they won't see you even if you wear dayglo orange or yellow. But a his viz vest or a white helmet might improve your chances of being seen, which is why coppers wear both. But in the end it's up to you... I've got a black helmet and I don't wear hi viz and I'm comfortable with that. But when I commuted a lot more I had a white helmet and sometimes I'd wear a hi viz vest in winter. They still didn't see me, mind.

[Nick the wanderer]

Hi, l chose a white helmet for exactly that reason, l think they are more visible so went with it. Don't know if there is any proof, l just noticed myself one day while watching a load of bikes go by. 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Hi viz helps but don't rely on it. When I used to commute in and out of a city in heavy traffic I noticed a very sharp distinction between when I wore hi viz and when I didn't. When filtering I always watch the front wheels of cars and the driver's side door mirror. You can spot eye contact in the mirror but don't assume just because they've seen you you're safe. The front wheel gives it away. 

 

Some drivers have an agressive instinct, you can often guess which cars are most likely to cause issues by the make and model. What I found is that when not wearing hi viz some drivers saw me and then the front wheel twitched out as they instinctively went to block a bike overtaking them. When wearing hi viz the wheel often twitched out and then immediately went back again. There's a two second process - 1. Bike coming, he's not getting past me. 2 Oh bugger he's in hi viz I'll look a dick when I hit him and say I didn't see him.

 

So hi viz does make a difference.

 

However, there will still be drivers who don't see you anyway. The thing to be aware of is that:

 

A - A bike can disappear behind the A and B pillars of cars so never assume they've seen you.

 

B - When scanning a junction human beings might look both ways but our eyes don't actually register the full sweep. We are built to avoid predators and dangers so our brains are hardwired to make quick decisions based on minimal information. When a human being looks left to right in a full sweep their eyes actually only scan a few degrees of information out of the 180 degrees of sweep. Our brain fills in the gaps to make us think we've seen the full picture but in reality we've only got a series of snapshots with large gaps left between them. A motorist is scanning for cars that are too big to fit into those gaps but a bike will.  So even on a clear road with no other traffic an emerging vehicle can look both ways and physically not see a bike coming. You need something that will catch their attention and register as a danger.

 

Hi viz can do that but not always. It depends on the background. But in general it contributes to being recognised.

 

Lights help but not always a single light travelling in a straight line at a fixed speed. So aux lights that create a wider spead help. Motorcycles that weave slightly approaching junctions stand a better change of being seen. 

 

I ride a CBF and  Bobber, both with a single headlight. But motorists perceive them very differently. The CBF light is pretty steady so it gets seen less. The Bobber has a smaller light but due to the nature of the suspension the light wobbles slightly. I very rarely get anyone pulling out on me when riding the Bobber.

 

I wear a hi viz airvest. I have a grey helmet and a white helmet. I find the white helmet gets seen better - possibly because bike+hi viz vest+helmet makes them just check it isn't plod.

Edited April 1, 2024 by Mississippi Bullfrog

[keith1200rs]

I know a police biker who was run in to the back of while stationary with flashing lights going. You can never guarantee to be seen. 

[S-Westerly]

I wear a white helmet but purely because in warm weather its cooler to wear and for me more comfortable. 

[Fiddlesticks]

Not sure about white helmets, but I've taken to wearing hi-viz on my commute after seeing a biker a few cars ahead of me get taken out by an emerging car.

Seems to help, but you never know.

Also, spotlights low down create a triangle effect with the headlight, which helps drivers gauge distance better.

A little weave to make yourself more visible might help (if they happen to be looking your way).

If nothing else, it's an extra point in your favour on the insurance claim.

[OnlyYamahas]

17 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

Not sure about white helmets, but I've taken to wearing hi-viz on my commute after seeing a biker a few cars ahead of me get taken out by an emerging car.

Seems to help, but you never know.

Also, spotlights low down create a triangle effect with the headlight, which helps drivers gauge distance better.

A little weave to make yourself more visible might help (if they happen to be looking your way).

If nothing else, it's an extra point in your favour on the insurance claim.

Great idea with the extra lights.Is it legal to have them fitted?Weaving like warming up your tyres , will try that too and hi viz but not so cool down my way on a Sunday not many wear it,but best be safe.Thanks for all the tips

[OnlyYamahas]

2 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Hi viz helps but don't rely on it. When I used to commute in and out of a city in heavy traffic I noticed a very sharp distinction between when I wore hi viz and when I didn't. When filtering I always watch the front wheels of cars and the driver's side door mirror. You can spot eye contact in the mirror but don't assume just because they've seen you you're safe. The front wheel gives it away. 

 

Some drivers have an agressive instinct, you can often guess which cars are most likely to cause issues by the make and model. What I found is that when not wearing hi viz some drivers saw me and then the front wheel twitched out as they instinctively went to block a bike overtaking them. When wearing hi viz the wheel often twitched out and then immediately went back again. There's a two second process - 1. Bike coming, he's not getting past me. 2 Oh bugger he's in hi viz I'll look a dick when I hit him and say I didn't see him.

 

So hi viz does make a difference.

 

However, there will still be drivers who don't see you anyway. The thing to be aware of is that:

 

A - A bike can disappear behind the A and B pillars of cars so never assume they've seen you.

 

B - When scanning a junction human beings might look both ways but our eyes don't actually register the full sweep. We are built to avoid predators and dangers so our brains are hardwired to make quick decisions based on minimal information. When a human being looks left to right in a full sweep their eyes actually only scan a few degrees of information out of the 180 degrees of sweep. Our brain fills in the gaps to make us think we've seen the full picture but in reality we've only got a series of snapshots with large gaps left between them. A motorist is scanning for cars that are too big to fit into those gaps but a bike will.  So even on a clear road with no other traffic an emerging vehicle can look both ways and physically not see a bike coming. You need something that will catch their attention and register as a danger.

 

Hi viz can do that but not always. It depends on the background. But in general it contributes to being recognised.

 

Lights help but not always a single light travelling in a straight line at a fixed speed. So aux lights that create a wider spead help. Motorcycles that weave slightly approaching junctions stand a better change of being seen. 

 

I ride a CBF and  Bobber, both with a single headlight. But motorists perceive them very differently. The CBF light is pretty steady so it gets seen less. The Bobber has a smaller light but due to the nature of the suspension the light wobbles slightly. I very rarely get anyone pulling out on me when riding the Bobber.

 

I wear a hi viz airvest. I have a grey helmet and a white helmet. I find the white helmet gets seen better - possibly because bike+hi viz vest+helmet makes them just check it isn't plod.

Great stuff,loads of great tips thanks for your time.Feel more confident when out next with all this knowledge, appreciate it

[husoi]

It will happen that a driver is distracted or busy with something else that won't see a biker even if you're wearing a amber flashing light on top of tour helmet.

Hence bikers developing a sixt sense in predicting what other people wil do.

Prevention may slow you down and delay your arrival a few minutes but it will make sure you arrive.

One of the most important things you can do as a rider is positioning yourself on the road in a way you maximise your visibility.

 

There will always be an idiot that is messing with the phone and won't care about anything else

[OnlyYamahas]

24 minutes ago, husoi said:

It will happen that a driver is distracted or busy with something else that won't see a biker even if you're wearing a amber flashing light on top of tour helmet.

Hence bikers developing a sixt sense in predicting what other people wil do.

Prevention may slow you down and delay your arrival a few minutes but it will make sure you arrive.

One of the most important things you can do as a rider is positioning yourself on the road in a way you maximise your visibility.

 

There will always be an idiot that is messing with the phone and won't care about anything else

Thanks I've heard near the middle at all times.Would you say that's good advice?

[husoi]

9 minutes ago, OnlyYamahas said:

Thanks I've heard near the middle at all times.Would you say that's good advice?

Not that simple.

Road safety will say to divide the lane in 3 sections.

1 will be the third to the left

2 middle third

3 right third.

You would ride on position 3 most of the time and this is known as command position. Where you will be the most visible.

On bends you will take position 3 if left bend and position 1 for right bend.

You will adopt position 2:

 - Over a hump where you can't see the oncoming traffic.

 - when other vehicles come on opposite lane. This will allow you to keep a safety bubble.

 - When approaching a left side junction and you can see vehicles wanting to join the road you're on

 

There is a lot more to it than what I just said.

 

[bonio]

7 minutes ago, OnlyYamahas said:

Thanks I've heard near the middle at all times.Would you say that's good advice?

Middle of the lane? Or middle of the road?

This is what I do: position first for safety: keep out of the way of things coming your way and stationary vehicles, and give them some space. Avoid potholes and if it's wet avoid manhole covers and white paint.  Second, position for vision: within that safe space you've identified in step 1, take up the place which gives you the best view of what's coming up next. Finally, position for presence: if, after steps 1 and 2 no other position is better, then put yourself where the right hand wheel of a car would be: a bit off-centre to the right. 

 

[OnlyYamahas]

1 hour ago, bonio said:

Middle of the lane? Or middle of the road?

This is what I do: position first for safety: keep out of the way of things coming your way and stationary vehicles, and give them some space. Avoid potholes and if it's wet avoid manhole covers and white paint.  Second, position for vision: within that safe space you've identified in step 1, take up the place which gives you the best view of what's coming up next. Finally, position for presence: if, after steps 1 and 2 no other position is better, then put yourself where the right hand wheel of a car would be: a bit off-centre to the right. 

 

Oh ok I was told right side behind drivers back wheel but not to close was safest to avoid being rear ended and good escape route.

Thanks for the advice will apply when next out.

[husoi]

9 minutes ago, OnlyYamahas said:

Oh ok I was told right side behind drivers back wheel but not to close was safest to avoid being rear ended and good escape route.

Thanks for the advice will apply when next out.

Group riding is a different thing.

You will want to avoid riding in straight line.

Staggered positioning is the safest.

You will have open space in front and the group will be more visible if the drivers can see 2 bikes instead of just the one covering the view of the group

[Gerontious]

7 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

I wear a white helmet but purely because in warm weather its cooler to wear and for me more comfortable. 

exactly right. It’s a real boon when I go off gallivanting to foreign parts where it ain’t half hot. (Mum) that and the flip all helps when the sun is so hot I could fry an egg on the tank. The tanks also white so that picturesque little analogy doesn’t really help. But hey ho.

i don’t really worry too much about being visible or not… though I mostly am. Mostly. Except to German pensioneers. (Rarely)

anyroad. Comfort is everything. So that’s my excuse. They do tend to be cheaper sometimes too which just adds to the sense of outrageous smuggery. And couldn’t give a figness.

[V650]

I noticed when I changed bikes that a lot more people pulled out in front of me on the Honda Cb 500X with its small led headlight 

Hardly anyone pulled out in front of me on the Kawasaki Versys with its Huge headlight which I had also swapped to Led 

(I was wearing a white helmet on both bikes ) 

 

I installed 2 led lights on the Honda on a bar under the main light these were flood rather than spot lights and it seems to have made a difference

I also wear a fluro type ( big yellow patches ) Jacket 

I also think Yellow colored  spots would be a good choice to get noticed 

[S-Westerly]

2 hours ago, Gerontious said:

exactly right. It’s a real boon when I go off gallivanting to foreign parts where it ain’t half hot. (Mum) that and the flip all helps when the sun is so hot I could fry an egg on the tank. The tanks also white so that picturesque little analogy doesn’t really help. But hey ho.

i don’t really worry too much about being visible or not… though I mostly am. Mostly. Except to German pensioneers. (Rarely)

anyroad. Comfort is everything. So that’s my excuse. They do tend to be cheaper sometimes too which just adds to the sense of outrageous smuggery. And couldn’t give a figness.

Absolutely agree and I'd forgotten about plain white being usually the cheapest. Certainly not going to pay an additional £100 just for graphics.

[RideWithStyles]

wh

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[muldoon74]

Instructor on my CBT recommended white helmet for visibility.

 

Hence I bought a white helmet. LS2 Scope, full flip front, chin and forehead vents, pinlock and flip down sun-visor (no need for sun shades!)...

 

£120.

 

When I need anew one I'll probably go for the same. 

 

 

[RideWithStyles]

A actual theory is white or yellow for winter and multi coloured for summer. 

[S-Westerly]

I've a white helmet and for 2 reasons - first they're usually cheaper and I'm too mean to pay £150 just for graphics and second they are cooler in hot sunny weather. My current helmet is a Shoei Neotec 2.

[Steve_M]

There seemed to be a trend a little while ago for fluorescent orange helmets. Or maybe not so much a trend, more that I noticed them. It did make me consider whether I ought to have a brighter coloured helmet on the basis that, in terms of safety, every bit helps. 
 

I compromised… though influenced by the fact that the lid was cheaper with this design.

 

[ColinWB]

I bought a white helmet because I thought it would stand out more than any other colour and because the police use them I thought there must be some truth in that. However, one retailer said he was told that pink helmets actually stand out more than white because they are unusual.

Edited July 24, 2024 by ColinWB