The human brain could be the cause of many motorcycle crashes
If you ride a motorcycle often, then you know what it feels like to have someone pull out in front of you with little time to spare. These near-misses make you worry about your safety on the roads, as they should. There’s a legitimate reason behind why you’re at a higher risk than others on the roads.
There are many reasons why motorcyclists get into crashes with other motorists. Sometimes, it’s because the drivers of larger vehicles claim they didn’t see the motorcyclist. Why don’t they, though? Is that really a true excuse?
The reality is that there is a high number of accidents that is a result of problems with how the brain processes information. Failing to notice an object that is in plain sight could be the reason behind many of the motorcycle accidents on the roads today.
Looked-but-failed-to-see crashes are the most common kinds of crashes involving motorcycles. When researchers looked into this problem, they found that drivers actually do as much as look straight at a motorcyclist and then pull out in front of him or her. The reason behind this could be due to the high amount of sensory input drivers deal with when driving. The brain determines what’s most important, and since the LBFTS crashes are so common, it’s fair to imagine that the brain doesn’t see the motorcyclists as an important piece of data.
The brain filters information differently person-by-person, but on the whole, it seems to place smaller objects on a lower priority during drives. Drivers can learn to drive safely, though, and they can start recognizing motorcyclists. If you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t see you, remember that you can pursue a motorcycle crash claim. Your health has to come first, and the at-fault driver should cover your losses.
Source: Science Daily, “Why drivers may fail to see motorcycles in plain sight,” accessed March 20, 2018