One thing that all motorcyclists quickly become aware of is that people in cars are blind. Right of way violations and near misses caused by this blindness are par for the course for any experienced motorcyclist and those of us who survive all come up with coping mechanisms. Mostly, these mechanisms boil down to this statement: “always assume that everyone else on the road is hell bent on killing you“.
I work for a courier company delivering letters and small parcels using my motorcycle. Because I am a contractor, I am required to have insurance which is arranged by my employer. Recently, the insurance company that my employer uses updated their requirements for motorcycle couriers. One of those requirements is that all motorcycle couriers wear a high visibility vest.
The effect of wearing this seemingly innocuous garment has been immediate and pronounced. Not only am I being endangered by oblivious motorists considerably more frequently, but when I alert them to their error, their response is markedly different to that which I am used to.
Typically, when a motorist realises that they have endangered a motorcyclist, they are quick to express their remorse in some way, even if it is only a helpless but apologetic wave of the hand. In stark contrast, my recent experiences have resulted in motorists who look at me with befuddlement as if to say “what did you expect?” There has certainly been no remorse expressed by either of the women who nearly ran me down this week.
I have a theory. It’s not scientific and it’s based on a sample size of 1. On the other hand, the studies that “prove” that high visibility vests are useful are typically crafted or funded by people with an agenda. Beyond that, a study that shows that high visibility vests are worthless (or worse) for motorcyclists has no real future. That’s the end of the story and there’s no real scope to take that study further (thus no chance of earning more funding or influence with folk who want to craft new law).
My theory is this: When the typical motorist plans a lane change or to cross an intersection, they are usually concerned most about threats to their own safety. A car barrelling up behind them at speed limit + 30 is a threat to their safety. A truck occupying the space they intend to move into is a threat to their safety. A big bad motorcyclist who looks likely to rip their head off and use their neck for a spittoon should they dare to violate his space is a threat to their safety.
A silly gumby wearing a roadside workers vest on the other hand is just another bug to splat.
To quote Luther Stickel: “I’m gonna miss being disreputable.”
Still, I imagine I’ll become plenty disreputable the next time someone gets their car close enough to my bike for me to kick their door in or take out their wing mirror. This is why motorcycle gloves have kevlar features on the knuckles. 
Do you get the feeling that I got home from work today worked up about a certain incident during the day? Yeah, I thought you did.
Props to the truckies out there though. For the most part they are careful, considerate and thoroughly professional.
