Thursday, October 27, 2005
Motorcycle running lights
Can anyone tell me who mandated motorcycles must have running lights up front but, not in the rear!
First, lets examine how we view things.
The human eyes have a hard time determining distance when looking at a single point especially in a low-light situation. A motorcycle headlight is a bright object whether it be day or night. A motorcycle taillight is a small dim object that is difficult to see at night especially when not being activated as a brake light. I have no problem with the existence of running lights up front. I'm sure they help distinguish a motorcycle from a car. However, the majority of motorcycle accidents (after left-turn/right-of-way violation accidents which are the number 1 cause) are rear-end collisions which is the main reason California passed the "lane-splitting" law which allows motorcycles to travel between cars that are stopped in gridlock situations thereby moving the motorcyclist from the danger of rear-impact.
Anyway, an operator of a car will have a difficult time judging the distance between himself and any motorcycle directly in front of him at night due to the single point of reference. The driver may think the light in front of him is a larger light that is farther away when in reality, it may be a small light that is very close!
The addition of rear running lights gives the viewer three points of reference which greatly increases his ability to judge the difference in distance between the motorcyclist and himself. Anything that helps make a motorcyclist more visible has to be a good thing!
If anyone can put me in touch with someone who can make a difference, let me know! Thanks!
Turbo Ghost
First, lets examine how we view things.
The human eyes have a hard time determining distance when looking at a single point especially in a low-light situation. A motorcycle headlight is a bright object whether it be day or night. A motorcycle taillight is a small dim object that is difficult to see at night especially when not being activated as a brake light. I have no problem with the existence of running lights up front. I'm sure they help distinguish a motorcycle from a car. However, the majority of motorcycle accidents (after left-turn/right-of-way violation accidents which are the number 1 cause) are rear-end collisions which is the main reason California passed the "lane-splitting" law which allows motorcycles to travel between cars that are stopped in gridlock situations thereby moving the motorcyclist from the danger of rear-impact.
Anyway, an operator of a car will have a difficult time judging the distance between himself and any motorcycle directly in front of him at night due to the single point of reference. The driver may think the light in front of him is a larger light that is farther away when in reality, it may be a small light that is very close!
The addition of rear running lights gives the viewer three points of reference which greatly increases his ability to judge the difference in distance between the motorcyclist and himself. Anything that helps make a motorcyclist more visible has to be a good thing!
If anyone can put me in touch with someone who can make a difference, let me know! Thanks!
Turbo Ghost
