Especially in the dark winter months wear many cyclists also a safety vest in the hopes that you will be more visible. But the most glaring clothing does not protect, if motorists are distracted, phone or simply looking in the wrong direction. And that’s often the accident reason than you think.
“Increase safety vests probably the visibility of cyclists, but that might have been so a lower risk of accidents, or that characterized the accidents would be less, I would not expect,” says traffic psychologist Mark Vallarta of the Technical University of Braunschweig and explained: “Quite a lot of accidents happen because the driver is looking in the wrong direction. And if you look in the wrong direction, then does not help even visible cyclists. ”
The bicycle industry has plenty of luminous jackets and reflective arm warmers in stock. Accidents happen just when one does not expect when the driver is about to distract. And suddenly there is a cyclist in front of the hood.
According to a study by the British insurance company Direct Line, in which the eye movements of motorists were measured, overlooked motorists only about four percent of the pedestrians. But of the cyclists be overlooked 22 percent.
And if they do not expect cyclists, they overlook simple. If you look in the newspaper, you see, too, that everything is overlooked Possible.
There are motorcyclists overlooked it be overlooked all railroads, at level crossings. What not exactly fit into the concept that falls in the information processing just to get out the back. ”
How the perception, that is no bad intention. Driving is a complex process. Much can then pull attention away from the road. One perceives only that with which one also expects. Even if the cyclist is well visible, keeping most motorists when overtaking for example, not the prescribed safety distance of 1.50 meters a. Not even if a safety vest with reflective tape is worn. This resulted in an investigation by Ian Garrard from Brunel University in London.
Susanne Elfferding explained: “He’s been on the road with various vests and various clothes on the roads, in the city and has been found here that this has no effect on the Überholabstand.”
A mere 1.18 meters is therefore the distance to the cyclist when overtaking. Only when the cyclist wearing a vest, similar to the police, keeps motorists a few centimeters longer distance. Nevertheless, the Überholabstand remains well below the prescribed value of 1.50 meters.
But there is a way to make cyclists more visible to traffic, says the ADFC in Hamburg. “The only way to change that is actually the bicycles to get to the road. This makes them visible, so they are the drivers in the field. And if there are many, then also happens less.”
Another important factor is that cyclists respect the traffic rules. But one should not yet carry the luminous vest for safety?
“That’s not necessary. Much more important is that you go ahead. That one knows how you have to behave. That one has a little bit in mind that the motorists have to see one and also can make mistakes. That one this must precisely compensate for error. And it’s no use to drive on the left side with a reflective vest and a helmet, where no one expected. This helps not at all. “