To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Hey all,

As a noobie (and a parent) I'm pretty careful about being seen. I ride a yellow SV, with a white helmet and a yellow High-Viz vest. But I do feel a big 'NEWBIE' sticker across my back would be more subtle!!

Now I know it's smart to being visible, but I see a lot of riders NOT wearing high-viz. I'm gonna keep on riding with the High-Viz so that I don't find myself lying under a 4x4 with someone lifting my visor screaming, "OMG I didn't see you!!" but I'm curious to know what the consensus is amongst org readers. Do you High-Viz on the commute and leave it off on Sunday? Or is everyday a dayglo Christmas day?

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Wearing a Hi-Viz is no guarantee other road users will see you. Neither is riding with your lights on or waving a twenty foot banner.

Everybody out there is out to kill you. Ride accordingly :cool:

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Personal preference, me thinks.
I don't wear one. In theory, it should make you more visible, but what's the point of that if drivers aren't checking their mirrors :/.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I wear one through the winter (dark morning and nights commuting) but the rest of the year no, it makes little difference imo

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Personal preference.

You still need to ride defensively and this will help you more than a high vis.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

+1 to all 3 of those posts.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

+1 - As stated... you could be wearing nothing but your lid and a mankini. If drivers aren't being observant, using their mirrors etc etc... it doesn't make a difference.

That said - the more you can do to be seen (and heard) esp when conditions are poor the better.

i.e. personal preference.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

when I wear my hi-vis jacket , I also put on the hi-viz forearms as well, since my bike is white and have the panniers on people sometime mistake me for a Police man and move out of the way.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

to many people are wearing high viz these days, joggers, cyclists, road workers blagh blagh. so i think people are just getting used to seeing them and starting to ignore them. being more observant is better in my opinion. also things like slowing down a bit more at busy junctions and schools/public buildings.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I do ride with lights on all the time but its worth remembering that if they dont look they wont see you,whatever you are wearing.Also worth remembering that there are some drivers out there who will try to kill you even when they have seen you.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I have to admit that in summer half the time the only protection I have is my helmet. I carry a vest on long runs in case the weather is mank. But it DOES make you way more visible. I don't like it, but just cause I'm a poser doesn't make it sensible to follow my example. The best thing you can do for safety is to keep your brain turned on and give yourself time and space to react APPROPRIATELY, not instinctively. Oh, and not all cagers are out there to get you. Most seem to be very considerate and wary of bikes, at least when they're paying attention to the road.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I used to high vis.

NEVER AGAIN. DO NOT DO IT.

It was one of the most dangerous things I ever did. Drivers view you as a learner and will overtake you even if you are above the speed limit. They will even over take you in the most inappropriate places.

E.g. people in 1.2 Corsa's overtaking my ZX-10R when I was doing 35 in a 30 through a residential zone with a speed camera 100 yards ahead.

Now I am not talking about one off's. It happened ALL THE TIME.

I stopped wearing the high vis and it hasn't happened since!

On any sporty faired bikes the high vis can't be seen from the front anyway.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I remember reading somewhere that a study had been done which said that when drivers dont see you it is less to do with what you are wearing and more to do with the threat you pose them.

i.e. if they see a bike they know the bike will come off a lot worse than them so subconsciously they "dont see you". Whereas if they see a lorry they know they will come off worse so subconsciously they "do see you".

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I have started to wear one recently, even after 12 years of comuting. Will it make a difference, we'll never know really!

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I don't because I wear a rucksack most of the time and it seems pointless, so I just ride on the understanding all road users don't see me or are willing to commit murder and kill me. :smt091

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

As above ....

I don't .... I think not wearing one makes you look more experienced, and 'don't take the pee, mate!!!' ...

Having said that, I wouldn't stop you wearing one ....

Ride defensively, and get a loud horn !!!! .... and don't be afraid of using it !!!

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I've got to agree with ToyPop. I found that wearing hi-vis in London just gave taxi drivers something to aim at. I'd guess that the exception is if you're riding a white BMW with a white lid.

Still, I'm considering one for dark winter motorway rides.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Agree .... I forgot to mention that I don't wear one ... but I have tried it ..... and you do get overtaken, even if you're pushing the limit *whistles* ....

People will take the pee with you .... jump out infront ..... 'so not to get stuck behind a learner !!'

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

On a similar thread it was suggested that wearing something reflective might help if you end up 20 yards from the road at midnight. Then the medics might find you before the crows do.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I have a Hi-Viz top with lashing red LEDs

http://www.hivizextras.co.uk/ledvests.html

It's the one under the top with Police on it.

The LEDs can be seen for a ridiculous distance, plus, the fact they are flashing seems to make people see me a bit better.

Maybe it's a placebo, maybe not.

Pete ;)

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I am glad it wasn't just me then! It did have me worried for a moment!

I came back to biking after a lay off of 5 years or so and being a bit older and wiser than when I left I decided to wear a high vis as it seemed smart.

So when I came back I first off had a Bandit which I quickly swapped for an SV. It was almost as soon as I started riding the Bandit that I had some cars doing dodgy over takes on me and I was saying "jesus things have changed in the last 5 years, they never used to do that to me on my CB100 or CD175"!!!

I thought maybe it was because I had a commuter looking bike but the SVS looked sporty and it continued happening on the 6R. Then when it still happened on the 10R with two big exhausts pointing back at people I realised something must be up. I mean you could guarantee almost every other ride you would see a completely pointless over take with no justification for it at all and not just by BMW types but even regular shopping trolley cars.

The only time it didn't seem to happen was on my commute to work and of course I had my rucksack on so it couldn't be seen!

So I took the bib off which left me all in black and looking a lot more serious and hardcore. It has literally never happened since so I am 100% certain it was the high vis. 2 years of bizarre overtakes with the bib, 2 years of not a single one without it. I have no doubts about it.

That is why I really have to stress for the love of god if you value your safety don't do it.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I shall have to try the vest then. Give me a taste of my own bad overtaking medicine. I'm starting to chance my arm a bit too much...

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I have a yellow SV, and headlights on, and a hi-vis, and a loud exhaust. And a topbox, which is like having a 20-foot banner :D

I still got wiped out :lol:

so yea, pete's right :lol:

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Like you (ceeshaw) I'm a "born-againer" and decided that if I was going to get back into biking I owed it to myself & family to be as safe as poss.

Got a yellow SV, white helmet but couldn't bring myself to wear a "newbie" high viz. Finished up with a black & yellow leathers which are bright and look the biz.

Saying that, I do yearn for a matt black R1 that I saw recently - I could just see myself in all black leathers - coool :)

G

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I wear one if I'm commuting or doing a group rideout - really stylish yellow top half and royal blue lower half - I looks just like a wannabe :D

group rides, usually because I'm marking/tec-ing/leading etc...

commuting, other road users shift out of the way!

If you stick some black gaffa on the shoulders and front breast pocket, it looks even more like police lol:
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1027841_n.jpg

If I'm on my own having a blast in summer I just wear my leathers :)

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

It does aswell ..... just need a white VFR to go with that :eek:

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Funny you should say that. I read somewhere about cops in the US not liking the idea of wearing high-viz and some states agreeing to them wearing 'high contrast' uniforms instead, i.e. something other than State Trooper standard issue black!!

ala 'Ghostrider' ;)

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Forgot about that, to complete the affect ride with your alarm on :cool:

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I keep a hi-vis vest under my seat for dark nights or fog just incase.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I wear a high viz police jacket , does not stop people not seeing you .

Almost got took out today when BMW driver did not see me and just pulled accross me @ 70 mph

Cheers Steveg

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

forgot to mention that it's not a hi-viz safety bubble but it does make a difference when commuting, especially filtering, in my experience

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Meh, High Viz isn't all it's cracked up to be! I have been stood with high viz jacket on at RTC's, with blue lights behind me, and still had to jump outta the way for some numpty who wasn't paying attention..

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

You sound colourful enough. I wear hi-viz if it's dark and I've got a long journey ahead

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I don't bother with a hi-viz.

When you look at the bike from the front, you will see the lights before the viz.

And if they can't see a bright red bike from the side...again the viz won't help much!

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Always wear one in town (central London) tbh if it even makes one percent difference it's worth it. I certainly can't see any negatives

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Ive seen people pull out in front buses. If a driver didn't see a bus, kiss goodbye to the chance of him/her seeing a high viz!

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Nope, never.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

I used to wear it in the winter & even organised a group buy on here for new ex-Police jackets.
But now I prefer not to rely on drivers seeing me, to the point that if i have to indicate I take it as a personal failure.

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

+1

handy in rain/fog days or even brakedowns (hang it on back of bike)...

Re: To HIGH-VIZ or not
 

Like others really. I will when light is poor or in bad conditions, just because I know from general experience that I notice people in high vis more at night - thus I hope others will notice me. don't bother in good light as it does F all to make you stand out if the light is good, and you just look like a n00b.

I never asume folk have seen me though, especailly in London - they obviously have some sort of rule which allows them to drive whilst asleep.