A research team led by Bournemouth University have just discovered that motorcyclist and car drivers may see things differently, even when on the same stretch of road! The shocking revelation, which has no-doubt rocked the scientific community, may help PHD researcher Shel Silva come up with a masterplan to help save the lives and limbs of countless motorcyclists; probably millions.
Obviously on a motorcycle you have a completely different perspective of your surroundings compared to that of car drivers. And of course you’re entirely more vulnerable. Everybody knows that. But who would have thought for a second that that’d cause there to be a difference in your ‘visual attention’.
Perhaps Bournemouth University could take the study one step further, and see if lorry drivers have different visual attention patterns too. I’d be fascinated to know, and think of all the wonderful things you could do with that information. I mean, I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I’m sure there are loads.
Thank goodness Shel and her team have gone to the trouble of doing all this important, meaningful research. In fact I think every motorist should be grateful that we now have indisputable scientific data to prove something that’s absolutely, blindingly obvious; so obvious, in fact that anyone with two brain cells to rub together could see it’s the case.
Pointless
Before you brand this study completely pointless, and a massive waste of time and effort, let me tell you that there is a point. And, in all fairness, it’s a genuinely noble one. The aim of the research is to get a better idea about how accidents happen and help make motorcyclists safer. I can’t argue with that.
Up to now, they have come to the conclusion that moving towards the centre of the road, near the white lines, when approaching a junction is an affective way for a motorcyclist to be seen. This is fantastic, but it’s also something that motorcyclists have been consciously doing for years. But it’s nice to have a PhD researcher confirm that we’re doing something right.
We’re not doing everything right though. Shel has decided that “motorcyclists would benefit from more skills regarding how to read the road and other road users.” Yes, and motorcyclists would also benefit from other road users, learning how to read the road. And you’d benefit from getting a proper job, love.
What are you studying next week? Whether or not leg amputation affects your 100m sprint times? I hope it’s something as important as that.
Hopefully Shel and her team can make the world a better place by improving the safety on our roads. But if I’m being completely honest, I’m not entirely sure they’re going about it the right way. Let’s see what happens.
3 Responses
I don’t get the negativity about this everywhere I have read about it. Governments don’t change how they spend their money based on anecdotal data. Proven scientific studies like this mean there is something to show to bodies that produce training material etc. to show what needs doing.
Saying you are a biker so you know it and it is obvious does not work. I like your articles but when someone spends 3-4 years working to make bikers lives safer and your response is “you’d benefit from getting a proper job, love” something is not right. “Get a proper job” coming from a bike journalist/racer?
Good point, well made. It’s just a shame it takes all that money and all that research to persuade the people who make the decisions to do something. Cheers
Hmm, well now I feel like a bit of a dick because you guys obviously do work hard putting out great content most of the time , and it is a proper job