BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

OK, after all these years of not wearing one you've convinced me, I've bought a vest. One question. On long trips, i fit a large(52ltr) aftermarket top box, so people behind will not see it anyway but Will it make me stand out more in car mirrors?.

At the risk of sounding cynical; You can only do your best to make yourself as visible as possible, but never under estimate the abject stupidity and lack of attention in other road users.
If wearing a high-viz increases your presence on the road to one person more in fifty you’ve won, and if you do get taken out the fact you’re conforming to the Highway code will lend weight to your insurance claim.
To answer your question - yes, as long as they look in their mirrors. Ensure you position yourself correctly so they can see you, definitely not square in the middle of their boot! You can sit to the O/S and present a real presence whilst being safer. Positioning for safety is everything.
Here endeth the first lesson!

I'm in the middle of clearing out my dads garage and i've found an orange Hi-Vis that he had been issued with at some time. It's the short pull apart type with press studs on the shoulders so you can get out of it if trapped. I might give it a try.

Sounds like a old railway type

Doctor T wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:49 pm Sounds like a old railway type

Yeah that was my first thought too, he worked on a lot of tunneling jobs in his lifetime and I'm finding ALL sorts of strange stuff he "brought home" when these jobs finished....

I did a lot of digging in old boxes when my Dad died. It's like searching the past

Doctor T wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 7:03 pm I did a lot of digging in old boxes when my Dad died. It's like searching the past

Indeed. There's also money not accounted for so I'm having to look in every box, open every bag etc

I have worn a yellow high viz jacket and a yellow helmet for years now.

Do I think it makes any difference? . not sure, though an ability to "read the body language " of those around you helps.

I find the most dangerous time is "going home" time, people take a few miles to get into their normal driving mode.

Definately better filtering experience wearing the day glo gear with the halo lights on, like moses parting the sea..

Also great fun setting the cruise to 70mph, and see how long it takes car drivers to pass me. ( and then curse me ).

I did a Biker Down course last month, the police officers there said hi-viz clothing was a waste of time, they still get cars/bikes pulling out in front of them even with blue lights and sirens on.

I used to drive buses! And what shocked me was the amount of people that used to say that they never saw a double decker bus!

Decent lights and defencive riding is the way to go in my opinion

Glenn wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 9:07 am I did a Biker Down course last month, the police officers there said hi-viz clothing was a waste of time, they still get cars/bikes pulling out in front of them even with blue lights and sirens on.

So many things that Bobbies say are throwaway comments, do they really suggest that Hi-Vis plays no part whatsoever on road safety... I doubt it. I would suggest that it was meant to indicate to you that Hi-Viz is not the complete answer.

Having many times done traffic duty at night at the scene of an RTC, that's waving your arms directing traffic, there's no way in hell I'd be doing it without Hi-Viz with reflective strips because it's a life saver, otherwise you wouldn't last 2 minutes on an unlit road.

Observation, planning, and positioning will play the major part in avoiding an incident together with good lighting, and of course making yourself as visible as possible which is where Hi-Viz comes in, but it's not the silver bullet.

And I agree completely with the Officers comments re emergency calls… one of the more memorable was when I’d just been issued a new bike with a flashing headlight option, so off I went on my first shout with the wailers, LED blues, and flashing headlight on. As I approached a sharp right hand bend with a left hand junction at the apex a little old lady waiting at the Give Way in her Morris Minor waived her hand in thanks and pulled right out in front of me. I missed her, just, but I never used the flashing headlight ever again.

Am still not convinced about wearing HI-ViZ in the daytime. Why do Bus drivers wear Hi-Viz whilst driving a Bus? Driving any vehicle with a large windscreen at night must be a nightmere with the refletion.

Doctor T wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:08 pm Pink well you can make up your own mind.

I went on a Bikers Down course and the Sargent that ran it was advocating pink! And to a certain degree I can see why. Yellow is as common as muck and Orange getting more popular. Pink, well it makes you look which I guess is the point, but as the man said, ^^^^^^^^

On a big touring bike looking from front I cannot see much of the yellow vest or another type high visibility clothing because of the large fairing. From sides and back they are more visible.

I would not wear a full vest but this type of harness I could consider. Especially the pink.

Doctor T wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 4:34 pm Why do Bus drivers wear Hi-Viz whilst driving a Bus?

Because they simply can't be arsed to take it off