Target Fixation

[-Maverick-]

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The bike ended up in its own grave.

~ 2:00 in start watching. Watch those tree shadows people!

The guy formerly known as Mladin.

 

[Lightcycle]

Shame, that was a nice bike.

If he was wearing those dark tinted goggles like the ones in the last shot of the video, then that might have contributed to the crash as well. My goggles are lightly tinted and I'm pretty much blind as soon as the sun sets.

 

[nobbie48]

I don't know if it was target fixation or an optical illusion that drew him off track. The shadows created a tunnel effect, possibly made worse by tinting. Having that open pit was stupid IMO.

My French is pathetic but I got the impression he got a broken femur. The video seemed to be more concerned about the bike.

 

[justride]

For myself, I say to myself where is my exit/escape plan to combat target fixation amongst other things. Instead focusing (target fixation) on what I am going to "hit" I direct my "fixation" on the exit/escape. ie. Riders do this all the time by looking for the gap between speed bumps. You know the bumps are there but you focus on the gap. Yes, it's much harder to do when your at pace and your life is at risk.

 

[Evoex]

Turn your head
Turn your head
Turn your head

 

[nobbie48]

For myself, I say to myself where is my exit/escape plan to combat target fixation amongst other things. Instead focusing (target fixation) on what I am going to "hit" I direct my "fixation" on the exit/escape. ie. Riders do this all the time by looking for the gap between speed bumps. You know the bumps are there but you focus on the gap. Yes, it's much harder to do when your at pace and your life is at risk.

I acknowledge the risk but focus on the path around it.

When I got back into riding about 20 years ago I was coming out of a parking lot late April and saw a patch of ice and went straight for it. Splat, luckily just a mirror and red face.

I recall seeing a video of a rider on a gentle right hand sweeper with a pickup coming the other way. She went right into the side of it. It must have been a nightmare for the second rider, seeing it develop with no way to prevent it.

 

[-Maverick-]

I don't know if it was target fixation or an optical illusion that drew him off track. The shadows created a tunnel effect, possibly made worse by tinting. Having that open pit was stupid IMO.

My French is pathetic but I got the impression he got a broken femur. The video seemed to be more concerned about the bike.

Ever ride through a tree shadow / sun situation where it's flickering from one extreme to the other very quickly? Certainly tests the rods and cones in your eyes.

I think he literally focused on the tree shadow here compounded by dark goggles he fixated and rode straight into the dark.

I've never seen a bike ride straight into its grave before. What a bizarre situation.

The guy formerly known as Mladin.

 

[GreyGhost]

Not looking far enough ahead either. He even had a car showing him the path. If the car curves off to the left, my brain is primed for a left.

Now, that pit was brutal on the outside of a corner. I'm surprised it doesn't have some form of protection (or at a minimum signage). It would be a big crash even for a cage if they caught that.

 

[Baggsy]

Turn your head
Turn your head
Turn your head

Over here.
Look here.
Up here.

 

[Wind Shear]

Over here.
Look here.
Up here.

 

[ungoloth]

I've always been torn between being high vis and target fixation.
I have been read ended twice at traffic lights in my 42 years of riding with lower visibility riding gear but am sceptical of being fixated on with high vis.
Motorcycle riding is something like horse riding, the bike (or horse) follows your hands and your hands follow your eyes... If someone is fixated on you then it could be grim.

 

[GreyGhost]

I've always been torn between being high vis and target fixation.
I have been read ended twice at traffic lights in my 42 years of riding with lower visibility riding gear but am sceptical of being fixated on with high vis.
Motorcycle riding is something like horse riding, the bike (or horse) follows your hands and your hands follow your eyes... If someone is fixated on you then it could be grim.

My wife wears a flashing vest when running at night. I have the same worries (especially with drunks). I hope that more people are confused by what they see and swerve away than fixate and run her over. I don't know of any studies that show whether your odds are better or worse. Personally, I think visibility is more important than avoid fixation as it helps more times per day.

 

[Mad Mike]

My favorite target fixation memory was back in 2018. Went on a groupie ride with some noobs on expensive bikes,. The noobs were in the last 1/2 of the group, When rounding a sharp corner, one fellow fixed on the ravine and down the hill he went. The next 3 bikes, fixated on the bike ahead and dutifully followed bike one down.

The order was BMW, BMW, (forgot), then a Harley.

Incredibly there were no major injuries, but some scrapes and there was plastic all over the forest floor. All the bikes and riders managed to limp home from the Minden area.

First we recovered the shocked riders from the bush.


Then the bikes. This is one of the Beemers.



.... edited pics

 

[GreyGhost]

My favorite target fixation memory was back in 2018. Went on a groupie ride with some noobs on expensive bikes,. The noobs were in the last 1/2 of the group, When rounding a sharp corner, one fellow fixed on the ravine and down the hill he went. The next 3 bikes, fixated on the bike ahead and dutifully followed bike one down.

The order was BMW, BMW, (forgot), then a Harley.

Incredibly there were no major injuries, but some scrapes and there was plastic all over the forest floor. All the bikes and riders managed to limp home from the Minden area.

First we recovered the shocked riders from the bush.

Then the bikes. This is one of the Beemers.

I can't see the pics.

 

[Evoex]

I can't see the pics.

i can?

 

[Mad Mike]

I can't see the pics.

Try now.

 

[GreyGhost]

Try now.

Fixed. How many people got poison ivy? That was a good team effort. Those weren't light and well down in there.

 

[Lightcycle]

Turn your head
Turn your head
Turn your head

Over here.
Look here.
Up here.

I use:

Look here! How many fingers?
How many fingers now?
Keep looking! How many fingers now?

 

[nobbie48]

Ever ride through a tree shadow / sun situation where it's flickering from one extreme to the other very quickly? Certainly tests the rods and cones in your eyes.

I think he literally focused on the tree shadow here compounded by dark goggles he fixated and rode straight into the dark.

I've never seen a bike ride straight into its grave before. What a bizarre situation.

The guy formerly known as Mladin.

Some flickering lights can trigger attacks with epileptics and flickering lights are also used to treat some mental conditions.

Cheap LED flashlights often come with switch options Bright- Dim- Flashing- Off. They are annoying. If I wanted a flashlight that flickered I'd buy one made by Lucas.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

My favorite target fixation memory was back in 2018. Went on a groupie ride with some noobs on expensive bikes,. The noobs were in the last 1/2 of the group, When rounding a sharp corner, one fellow fixed on the ravine and down the hill he went. The next 3 bikes, fixated on the bike ahead and dutifully followed bike one down.

The order was BMW, BMW, (forgot), then a Harley.

Incredibly there were no major injuries, but some scrapes and there was plastic all over the forest floor. All the bikes and riders managed to limp home from the Minden area.

First we recovered the shocked riders from the bush.

View attachment 61571
Then the bikes. This is one of the Beemers.

View attachment 61572

.... edited pics

I have a memory of a ride on Southwood 13 that played out like this. The scene looked very similar, but the main characters had less grey hair

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