Page 67 - mv21

Driver’s Manual | 67

Many drivers who are involved in a crash with • Motorcycles don’t have a tail light
a motorcyclist report that they did not see the at eye level. Most cars and trucks are
motorcycle. The question is “why not?” equipped with a “Center High Mount
Stop Light” (CHMSL) which is designed
There are several factors that make motorcy- to be at, or close to, eye level. Most mo-
clists less visible. torcycle brake lights are mounted lower
than eye level, which makes them less
• Motorcycles, when compared to other obvious to many motorists.
highway users, are smaller. No matter
from which direction you view a motorcycle
(front, back, or side), you’ll find they are • Turn signals on motorcycles are often
close to the headlight or taillights,
smaller than most other highway users.
which can make them more difficult to
• Motorcycles may appear to move faster see. Additionally, on most motorcycles,
than other vehicles. A motorcycle’s smaller the directional signal does not turn off
size makes it seem much farther away, and automatically after a turn, so their turn
makes it difficult to judge how far away they signal may be on inadvertently when the
are or how fast they are going. motorcyclist has no intention of turning.

• Motorcycles may not take up the entire Intersections can be especially dangerous for
lane because they are not as wide as motorcycles. It’s human nature to notice large
other vehicles, but an experienced rider vehicles first. Motorcycles are smaller than other
may move around within a lane to avoid vehicles, and they may seem to “blend in.” Num-
obstacles, or to help them see better. In bers help tell the story:
addition to using the full lane, two motorcy-
clists are allowed to ride side-by-side in a • The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
single lane, but a motorcyclist cannot pass istration reports that, in 2015, 41 percent of
or share a lane with another motor vehicle fatal motorcycle crashes in the US occurred
that is not a motorcycle. If you are overtak- with “the other vehicle turning left while the
ing a car/SUV/truck, you might not have motorcycles were going straight, passing,
seen the motorcycle in front of that vehicle or overtaking other vehicles.”
until you’re already in the passing lane.
The same holds true if you are entering an • In 2014, there were 4,750 reported motorcy-
expressway. You may not see a motorcycle cle crashes in New York State. 2,546 of
that is driving in the left portion of the lane these crashes involved another vehicle.
you intend to merge into. That’s 53.6% of the reported crashes.

• Motorcycle lighting is different, and often Another factor is that drivers may not see
less obvious, than other vehicles: motorcycles simply because they don’t look
for motorcycles. It’s human nature to look for
• Headlights and taillights on motorcy- something specific. A new driver may be told to
cles must be illuminated when driving. look for cars (and trucks) before going through an
But, with so many vehicles equipped with intersection – and that is precisely what s/he will
daytime running lights (i.e. headlights look for. All drivers need to train themselves to
that are always on – even in daylight), look for motorcycles and to share the road safely
motorcycle headlights don’t stand out. with them.

• It’s harder to see the brake lights. Tail
lights on a motorcycle are generally
smaller in size than those on other vehi-
cles, and because motorcycle tail lights
are always on, the brake lights don’t
always stand out.