Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

Motorcycle accidents caused by inattentional blindness

On Behalf of | Aug 21, 2021 | Motorcycle Accidents |

Riding your motorcycle in New Jersey can be thrilling. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous, especially when you have to share the road with cars and other larger vehicles. Sometimes, accidents can occur as a result of inattentional blindness. It’s important to know what this is and how it can be avoided.

Why do so many motorcycle accidents occur?

Often, motorcycle accidents occur because drivers of cars are inattentive. Specifically, there is a term known as “inattentional blindness,” which refers to a driver’s failure to notice an object in plain sight such as a motorcycle. A driver may glance at the motorcycle as it suddenly appears in their line of vision but its presence doesn’t actually register in the driver’s mind. These types of accidents are also referred to as “looked but failed to see.”

Study examines inattentional blindness

A study was conducted to evaluate this phenomenon. Researchers had 56 people in their study and had them look over various pictures that mimicked being on a road from a driver’s perspective. The participants were asked to determine whether the images showed safe or unsafe environments from driving. In the last picture, the researchers added in an unexpected object, usually a motorcycle or taxi. They questioned the participants about whether they noticed those other vehicles.

The results showed that 48 percent of the participants didn’t notice an additional object. However, 65 percent of those people were deemed less likely to see the motorcycle, which shows why motorcycle crashes are so much more likely to happen.

The researchers saw the results of their study showing that drivers need to be more aware of motorcycles sharing the roads with them. They stated that training programs could be especially helpful for newer drivers who are not as experienced.