ࡱ> -/,5@ Rbjbj22 "XXRHHHHHHH\  \E$RM XHHH\\\HH\\\rHHr ĞA:r0Er B r\\HHHHr6 H\\\ R \\ Conspicuity by Robert Vaughan Conspicuity means more than just making yourself seenit means making yourself easy to recognize. Placing a strobe on your helmet will make you visible at night, but it certainly doesnt make you recognizable. Seeing the two headlights of an oncoming truck doesnt help if you think it is two motorcycles and try to go between them. Even if you could make yourself look the size of a tractor trailer truck, it wouldnt be enough. Several studies have proven that reflective markings make even trailers safer. To be conspicuous, an object must be recognized without confusion or ambiguity. Every second counts in avoiding a crash. A few tenths of a second spent deciding the meaning of what is seen can mean the difference between a close call and a hospital call. Drivers go through four stages in responding to an object they see: They detect it. They identify it. They make a decision to react. They act. Good conspicuity acts to shorten the reaction time in the first three stages. White reflects five times more light than red but red means danger. It says stop. Red and white are used for stop signs and railroad crossings. Red also appears brighter to the human eye than it really is. Drivers are used to interpreting these colors as something to avoid. Using the same colors at night on retroreflective tape on helmets or vests when riding a motorcycle will undoubtedly reduce our chances of being hit by making us both visible and recognizable as a motorcycle.  Copyright 1996-2007 by Robert Vaughan. This article may be used if Im given credit and a copy of the publication.   Rjhr+U hr+6]hr+   ^ n Rgdr+gdr+gdr+gdr+R 1h/ =!"#$%DdP  3 3"((@@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH N`"N r+ Heading 2dd@&[$\$5CJ$\aJ$N`RN r+ Heading 5dd@&[$\$5CJ\aJDA@D Default Paragraph FontRi@R  Table Normal4 l4a (k@(No ListB^`B r+ Normal (Web)dd[$\$4U`4 r+ Hyperlink >*phR ^nT00000000000 00H0 ^nTOy0Oy0Oy0Oy0@Oy0@Oy0Oy0Oy0Oy0Oy0My0My0RR R FN T3333 TTScuba1NW0,iNW0ddr+@QQlۊooQQRP@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial"1hr&u&a a 24OO3H)?r+ ConspicuityScuba1Scuba1Oh+'0l   ( 4 @LT\d ConspicuityonsScuba1ucubcubNormaluScuba1u1ubMicrosoft Word 10.0@Ik@@;-a՜.+,0 hp|  i OA  Conspicuity Title  !"#%&'()*+.Root Entry F:A0Data  1TableWordDocument"SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8$CompObjj  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q