D
Duncan
Guest
"BrettS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Duncan wrote:
> > "Zebee Johnstone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>In aus.bicycle on Mon, 9 Oct 2006 13:53:35 +1000
> >>asterope <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >>>"great way to get yourself killed, love."
> >>>
> >>>i almost fell off my bike i was laughing so hard.
> >>
> >>I had a bod on a Vespa tell me I ought to get a flag cos I was "so
> >>hard to see".
> >
> >
> > He's got a point. I mainly lurk here but when you were deciding on a
bike I
> > almost piped up to talk you out of a recumbent. For a lot of drivers
> > they're practicaly invisible, they're less manouverable and wider so
more
> > likely to be clipped. A flag doesn't cut it, a burning flare might be a
> > better option.
> >
> >
> >>If he can't see something 2 foot wide, a foot longer than most
> >>bicycles, and where the rider's seat is as high as a car seat then I
> >>think the RTA's eyesight test needs work.
> >
> >
> > As you yourself have pointed out it's not about eyesight, it's about
> > processing what you see. People just aren't looking for recumbents so
they
> > won't see them. I've seen recumbents so low they don't make it up to a
cars
> > window, on top of that they keep getting stuck lane splitting. A driver
> > could do everything right and still hit them.
>
> Well I would suggest that the driver wouldn't have done *everything*
> right then. Especially as you just pointed out - you can see them.
I don't drive a car but if a recumbent lower than your window split up on
your left side how are you going to see it? This may be rare but I've seen
it happen.
> How is a recumbent (even a low one like your talking about) different
> from other similar sized objects likely to be found on the roads such as:
> * Children?
> * Domestic animals?
> * Wheelie bins?
Well they can all be hard to see which is exactly my point. Do you think
it's always a good idea for children, animals or wheelie bins to be on the
road? I don't want to ban any of these things, just realise the dangers.
> Saying that someone is putting themselves in greater danger because they
> ride a bike which is deemed too small/narrow to be seen properly is a
> cop out. The SMIDSY phenomenon is alive and well putside of cycling
> circles. You only have to see the number of people who drive into the
> back of other cars, busses and trucks to know that size doesn't make a
> scrap of difference.
You're saying there is no increased danger with decreased visibility? I'm
not convinced.
news:[email protected]...
> Duncan wrote:
> > "Zebee Johnstone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>In aus.bicycle on Mon, 9 Oct 2006 13:53:35 +1000
> >>asterope <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >>>"great way to get yourself killed, love."
> >>>
> >>>i almost fell off my bike i was laughing so hard.
> >>
> >>I had a bod on a Vespa tell me I ought to get a flag cos I was "so
> >>hard to see".
> >
> >
> > He's got a point. I mainly lurk here but when you were deciding on a
bike I
> > almost piped up to talk you out of a recumbent. For a lot of drivers
> > they're practicaly invisible, they're less manouverable and wider so
more
> > likely to be clipped. A flag doesn't cut it, a burning flare might be a
> > better option.
> >
> >
> >>If he can't see something 2 foot wide, a foot longer than most
> >>bicycles, and where the rider's seat is as high as a car seat then I
> >>think the RTA's eyesight test needs work.
> >
> >
> > As you yourself have pointed out it's not about eyesight, it's about
> > processing what you see. People just aren't looking for recumbents so
they
> > won't see them. I've seen recumbents so low they don't make it up to a
cars
> > window, on top of that they keep getting stuck lane splitting. A driver
> > could do everything right and still hit them.
>
> Well I would suggest that the driver wouldn't have done *everything*
> right then. Especially as you just pointed out - you can see them.
I don't drive a car but if a recumbent lower than your window split up on
your left side how are you going to see it? This may be rare but I've seen
it happen.
> How is a recumbent (even a low one like your talking about) different
> from other similar sized objects likely to be found on the roads such as:
> * Children?
> * Domestic animals?
> * Wheelie bins?
Well they can all be hard to see which is exactly my point. Do you think
it's always a good idea for children, animals or wheelie bins to be on the
road? I don't want to ban any of these things, just realise the dangers.
> Saying that someone is putting themselves in greater danger because they
> ride a bike which is deemed too small/narrow to be seen properly is a
> cop out. The SMIDSY phenomenon is alive and well putside of cycling
> circles. You only have to see the number of people who drive into the
> back of other cars, busses and trucks to know that size doesn't make a
> scrap of difference.
You're saying there is no increased danger with decreased visibility? I'm
not convinced.