Modern Vespa

Dooglas-

The Hurt Report is a good piece of early 1980's work that addresses Los Angeles, CA. Try some more modern studies covering different and more diverse locations and the data is somewhat different.

Further, look at fatal mishaps, which are the most thoroughly investigated and are virtually 100% reported in the US, and the results are dramatically different. Non-fatal, single vehicle mishaps that do not involve third party injury and/or damage tend to be seriously under reported. Hurt dealt with reported mishaps of all varieties. Just recently read a post by a PTW rider about his fourth spill in 6 months, all due to his own actions. Only damage/injury was to himself and his bike. He said he was glad he didn't have to report any of them, as it would drive his insurance rates through the roof. Anecdotal? Yes. Common practice? Probably.

Hurt's a good study, but it's not infallible nor current.

Al

This is true for sound, Sticky. When your scooter breaks the so-called sound barrier you do indeed begin catching up with the sound waves you've emitted. You hear yourself again saying, " Wow, I didn't think this thing could go this fast!" and, " I hope I can stop!"

Light, however is a whole different thing. Accelerating to the speed of light is asymptotic - it can be approached, but never actually reached - so as Kate goes faster and faster, her headlight beam progressively shifts toward the red end of the spectrum, eventually moving into the infrared and becoming invisible. You can't actually catch up with the photons. So it seems as if she has "overdriven" her headlights, but they are still there - she just isn't able to see them.

This is why it is important for us to ride more slowly at night. (Slow down, Kate!)

Albert Einstein was the first to observe this phenomenon, but of course he did it on a bicycle.

I read a good portion of the actual Hurt report looking for something to support the notion that there are more accidents at night but the report showed that only 15-25% of the accidents occurred during the dark hours.

The two percentages came from the two different types of accident data the Hurt team used for their analysis, either first hand data collection or data collection based on police reports (second hand, at best).

I didn't see any "conclusions" about the percentage of night time accidents in particular. The NUMBER of accidents that occur at night may be lower but is higher based on the the percentage of M/C riders relative to the total number of vehicles being operated during the dark. That and there are lass "dark" hours than "daylight" ones.

I honestly don't know.

Absolutely. If you can't use the high beam, you are now partially "blind."

I'm stuck in company truck during working hours so I don't have the ability to commute. most of my riding is confined to weekends & evenings. Driving for a living I see many things and am grateful I don't have to drive during rush hours as cagers tend to drive more agressive. When I ride in darkness which is often I stick w/roads I'm familiar with & never, never ride in the country (critters). I flick my hibeam at cars making lefts & entering traffic from my right. I've found that cagers seem to see vespas better at night from the front almost curious when they see the headlight w/2 running lights approaching. Lastly slowing down when possible helps w/the overiding thing. Still w/all that I almost ran in front of cager w/right of way who was speeding in my neighborhood this week. be careful friends.

no science involved here, but I read every story about local fatalities and they seem to be heavy on- late night ie 2 am, no helmet, high speed, single motorcycle.

I think it is actually easier for us to be seen by cagers at night with our bright light. That being said I think it is harder for us to see the road etc... with their headlights on us , our facemasks and glasses glare.