BikeSafeSanAntonio

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Perceptual blindness, is the problem of not being able to see things that are actually there. This can be the result of a mental focus which cause mental distractions. Even though an observer was looking right at the missed events, their attention was focused on other visual stimuli, or they were otherwise cognitively engaged (i.e., talking on a cell phone). The first step in dealing with perceptual blindness is to understand it and acknowledge that it exists. By doing that, we are able to improve our skills to diminish its effects. This is why it becomes very important to limit your distractions when operating your vehicle. Knowing your limitations is important. Limiting distracting activities while driving/riding enables you to be more focused & aware when on the road. This goes a long way in making our roads safer for everyone.

Something else that can cause problems is having no internal frame of reference to perceive the unseen objects. It is due to how our minds see and process information. This is why more information to drivers about cyclists becomes so very important. The more drivers are reminded that cyclists are riding among them, the easier it becomes for their mind’s eye to see the cyclists. This is part of what was being addressed in the ‘Share The Road’ signage campaign. On one hand, it educates drivers that cyclists have a right to use roads, and it goes a step further by putting a mental picture of a bike fresh in the driver’s mind, making them more likely to notice cyclists when they encounter them.

Change blindness, the inability to perceive features in a visual scene when the observer is not paying attention to those specific details, is another difficult area. That is to say that humans have a limited capacity for attention which limits the amount of information processed at any particular time. This is why lack of vigilance while operating your vehicle will alway produce dangerous outcomes.

We have to be aware of our mental limitations as we engage in a variety of activities. Sitting at home watching a movie doesn’t ‘require’ the same level of attention & focus as driving a multi-ton vehicle on the roads. So it becomes each drivers responsibility to know the mind can only focus on so much data at any given time. Then make adjustments to the incoming data when getting behind the wheel.  Becoming distracted while perusing information on the internet won’t bring about the same negative results as conversing so intently with your ride-partner that you fail to be aware of the traffic conditions around you.  This is another reason single or double line riding is safer.  Constantly & continually maintain your focus on  what is going on around you when you are on your bike to increase your personal safety.

That is why limitations on cell phone usage while operating a vehicle increases safety on the roadways. Eating the fast food ‘in the parking lot’ before pulling out into traffic improves safety conditions on the roads. Not putting on make up, or refraining from reading while driving increases our ability to take in more information as we drive. Not listening to headphones while riding, not ‘zoning out’ while on our bikes enables riders to focus on the ever-changing environment around them.  That increased ability to focus and react to potential problems improves our ability to safely maneuver on the roads, whether driving or riding.

Texting while operating a vehicle brings up an additional problem. Cognitive capture, also known as cognitive tunneling, when the observer is too focused on the instrumentation and not on the whole environment. It takes far too much cognitive focus text-messaging to do anything else. That is what makes texting and operating a vehicle extremely dangerous & reckless. If you’ve ever done it, you know that texting can hyper-focus your mind to the point that your surroundings completely disappear momentarily. As you are driving/riding, too much goes on for you to have those ‘lost’ moments. So the only responsible thing to do is making the decision ‘not’ to text while operating your vehicle.

The last issue to discuss is the phenomenon of SEP, also known as Somebody Else’s Problem. It causes people to ignore matters which are generally important to a group but may not seem specifically important to the individual. When trying to alert the public to the risk of low-probability, high-consequence tragedies such as motor vehicle-cyclist incidences… it may appear to both drivers & cyclists that we are asking them to act on someone else’s problem.

This is where laws being passed & enforced will bring increased results in safer roads. Unfortunately, by bringing consequences for not utilizing care while interacting with others on the roadways, it then makes it everyone’s problem. Doing this increases the vehicle operator’s desire to attend to what they may feel is someone else’s problem, specifically using care & diligence toward other users while on the roadways. 

We are excited about hearing from all of you.  Take a moment to leave a comment about your thoughts on our information…