Why Go High-Viz?

Ask any rider, and they will probably tell you their biggest safety concern is being cut off, run over, or otherwise violated by another driver in traffic. It’s a constant, serious threat.

However, as a rider, you can take control of the situation by making yourself as highly visible (conspicuous) as possible. Doing so will reduce the number of surprises you face every day and help you avoid getting blindsided by someone else’s last-minute decision.

Introduction

Most riders would agree that their goal is to enjoy their bikes and make it home safely. Being high-viz will make that job easier. About half of all motorcycle crashes involve a collision with another vehicle. In many crashes, the driver never saw the motorcyclist - or didn't see him or her until it was too late. There are many reasons why other drivers do not see motorcyclists.

• Most car drivers aren't familiar with motorcycles, so they don't think to look for them in traffic.
• Motorcycle riders typically wear dark colors and can easily blend into the background and "disappear."
• Motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles, so they are more difficult to spot in traffic and can be hidden by other vehicles or roadside features.
• Daytime headlight use does not give motorcycle riders much of an advantage anymore, due to the widespread use of daytime running lights on cars.
• The smaller size and single headlight on the motorcycle makes it more difficult for other drivers to judge a rider's speed and distance.

Further, recent research suggests that riders believe they are visible at more than twice the distance estimated by a driver under the same circumstances. There is a serious difference of opinion between riders and other drivers with respect to how conspicuous riders are in traffic!

As a rider, the burden is unfortunately on you to do something about being visible. We expect other drivers to watch out for motorcycles in traffic, but because motorcycle riders are so vulnerable, they have the responsibility to make themselves as visible as possible. In a multi-vehicle crash, it's the rider's life-and-limb at stake, so it's the rider who must make the extra effort to stand out in traffic.

Fortunately, making yourself "high-viz" is relatively easy. There are lots of ways to get noticed in traffic. Most riders understand the concept of "conspicuity" even if they've never heard the word before. Conspicuity (con-spik-CUE-i-tee) is a fancy term for "visibility." It is the ability of an object to draw attention to itself, even if nobody's actively searching for it. Rider conspicuity, therefore, is the ability of a motorcyclist to draw attention to him- or herself, even though other drivers may not be actively looking for them.

How to Use this Web Site

This Web site outlines 20 ways to draw attention to yourself, listed in order of "the most bang for the buck." The Top 10 High-Viz Tips are the ones that will be most effective at helping you get noticed by other drivers. Tips 11 through 20 (10 More High-Viz Tips) are additional ways to make yourself visible to other drivers.

Each of the tips is assigned a point value. The more points a tip has, the more effective it will be at increasing your conspicuity. Your goal is to use the tips and add up points to be a perfect "10." If you're using, or if you adopt, enough tips from this site to reach 10 points, consider yourself a "high-viz" rider.

Take a look at the Top 10 High-Viz Tips, decide which ones make the most sense to you, your riding experience, and the type of riding you do, and adopt them into your riding style. If you want to get an idea of how visible you are right now on the scale of 1-10, try our interactive quiz to see where you stand. The quiz will give you a place to start; then you can keep adding tips to your riding strategy until you reach 10.

If none of the Top 10 tips appeal to you, or if you already use the Top 10 and are looking for more ways to be visible, take a look at 10 More High-Viz Tips.

Site Map

"Be a Perfect 10" Interactive Quiz 
Rate Your Own Visibility on a Scale of 1-10

Top 10 High-Viz Tips
These 10 strategies will be most effective
at helping you get noticed by other drivers.

1. Fluorescent/Reflective Safety Vest 4 Points
2. White Helmet 3 points
3. Brightly Colored Jacket 2 points
4. Strategic Lane Positioning 2 points
5. Headlight Modulation 1 point
6. Flash Your Taillight 1 point
7. Reflective Materials 1 point
8. Movement 1 point
9. Auxiliary Driving Lights 1 point
10. Hand Signals 1 point

10 More High-Viz Tips
Tips 11-20 will not be nearly as effective as tips 1-10,
but they can edge you a little closer to becoming
a Perfect 10.

11. Avoid Riding at Night 1/2 point
12. Avoid Riding at Dawn/Dusk 1/2 point
13. Aftermarket Horn 1/2 point
14. Position/Marker Lights 1/2 point
15. Avoid Riding in Poor Weather 1/2 point
16. Avoid Riding during Low-Sun Angle or Seasonal Times 1/2 point
17. Bike Profile 1/2 point
18. Bike Color 1/2 point
19. High Beam in Daytime 1/4 point
20. Unusual Effects 1/4 point

Reflective Sticker Contest
Dress up your bike or helmet in reflectives, send us your photos to post on the site, and be eligible for a $250 prize.

Free Reflective Decal!
Get a free, 3x6" white retroreflective decal for your bike or helmet from the MMSC.

High-Viz Resources 
Links to additional conspicuity information and products. 

Ad Campaign
Learn more about the 2008-2009 Rider Conspicuity Campaign. 

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